Sometimes, a girl needs her daddy....

[Jessica Justice]

"Ah flew here Da. Ye know damn well a 'boarding school' be just a fancy way of saying 'incarceration'. Ye cannae keep me away if'n Ah want ta be here for ye!" She huffed at her father, though her frustration was mitigated by the fact that her father had a positive impression of Ben. That was good. That was very good. Perhaps she could get the young Jedi some work, and perhaps be able to keep him close in the near future.

"But, ye injuries.... They be quite severe. Be Uncle Ryn on Socceras?" she inquired. She remembered watching the masked Jedi healing Brooke during a particular raid long ago. Well, not too long, just seemed so.... "They should take ye to him if'n he be here...." She pouted, as they reached one of the ambulances. She sat her father down on a stretcher they had set up, steadying him, and subtly reinforcing her impressive physical strength by gently holding him where the medics could administer some of the more basic of aids to the heavily injured Monarch.

Her concern for her father was great, but so was her concern for Ben. Most of the medics were swarming her and James, but none addressed Ben.... at least, not until she swatted one's hands off of her person. "Ah be fine, ye great git. Help him!" she scolded, a passionate fury taking her eyes as she glared at the Rodian medic, who blanched and quickly moved to assist Ben onto a stretcher so they could circle him and examine his injures.

Another medic made note of the scorched hole in her shirt, right across her abdomen, and the bit of blood that wreathed the long opening in the material. "What happened, Miss Justice?" "Ah be shot. Ah got better. End o' story." she replied curtly. "Me Da. Me Ben. Now." she'd snarl, before returning her gaze to her boys. The only two men who meant a kriff to her.

[member="James Justice"] | [member="Ben Corscifine"]​

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Ben did not enjoy being taken care of. There was something about it that was demeaning, even if he needed it. And he had been doing so well with Jessica's father! He was worried that he knew more about her rescuing him from Lothal and their kiss onboard her ship. It was hard to know what James knew, or how he felt about Ben's relationship to his daughter. Still, his intentions were pure, and he had demonstrated his care for Jess in this daring rescue attempt. Still, to be pulled away by a Rodian into a huddle of medics who poked and prodded his scalded shoulder in the heat of this meeting was not preferable. There was more schmoozing to do.

Laying on the stretcher, Ben had time to think about what had transpired in the hangar. He had taken a life; that was no small event. He remembered his last conversation with Dune Rhur, the Bith padawan with whom Ben had been close on Lothal. He had promised to pursue the light, even in his exile. When Ben was killing the slavers, he was touching the Dark Side. Worse, he liked the way it filled him, pushed him forward. He liked it in the way that he liked being alone with Jessica, pushing the limits of what he could do, brushing against the edges of his Code.

It was something scary to reflect on in the peace of post-combat repose. What was important was that Jessica was safe. He remembered how she had executed a Force Push during the fighting. He couldn't help but wonder what confusing thoughts were going through her mind in the hindsight of peace. He wanted to press her hand. More, he wanted to kiss her again.

Maybe not in front of her father.

His eyes opened and he saw her examining her father with care as the medics swarmed him. She was safe. All things considered, that was enough for Ben Corscifine.

[member="James Justice"] | [member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

The spacer winced as he felt the doctors begin to probe and apply their wonder drugs to his wounds. The most of their efforts went to the bullet wound on his thigh and the tears along his face where he had been battered by the first Nikto.

"I was keepin' ye safe," James told his daughter with an honest, measured tone. "Givin' ye a chance to learn. A chance to be better than ye old man is. I never got a proper learnin', I wanted ye to have a chance to get the book--gah!" one of the doctors jabbed a needle in James' leg without warning. He glared at the medic.

"Sorry. We're gonna have to give you a series of ongoing antibiotics for body fluid transmitted diseases. Your coated in blood."

"What else is new?' James retorted. He looked to his girl, "I've had worse. Much worse, I came back from it." he caressed her cheek, "I am glad ye are alright."

The police began to liberate the slaves from their containers, the weeping, freed mass. They would be cared for, all evidence would be confiscated and the surviving slavers would wish they had died at James' gory hands when they were found. Not if.

"Ryn ain't here, the family be spread out," he said with a half shrug, 'Ain't heard from him in weeks.'

The spacer motioned to one of the nearby medics, "Get me, the boy, and me girl on the same speeder to the Angel's Den now."

By the power of role play, there was a large enough speeder to hold all three and the medical staff fussing over them to take them to James' nightclub/capital building. James had a lot he wanted to ask this Ben and a lot of catching up to do with his daughter. Intel reports could only give you so much.

[member="Jessica Justice"]
[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Jessica Justice]

"Da, ye should know me. Ah be more like ye than ye'd think." She'd say, giving a wry grin. "Stubborn to a fault, and dead set on doing things me own way. Ye can't keep me from going where Ah want. And Ah wanted to be with me Da." A gentle squeeze was given to her father's hand, as they loaded into the speeder.

A short ride later, they were in the 'Private' section of the Angel's Den. Her father patched up, likely with a bacta drip, seated in a comfy chair, and Ben likewise on a sofa in the lounge. The heiress was at the bar, the third and final occupant of the room, preparing some drinks. "Ben, what can I get ye?" She asked of the young Jedi. For herself and her father, the decision was easy. Reactor Core. And whatever it was that Ben desired.

Placing a drink into each of the men's hands, she took a seat on the arm of her father's chair, the arm closest to Ben, her unconsciously manipulative aim to be a buffer between the two, to keep her father placated during the discourse. "So, Da, other than the most recent events, how be things lately?" She attempted to open with a bit of small talk, hoping to keep the conversation light...ish....?

Spoiler

[member=Ben Corscifine] | [member=James Justice]
Maybe let James take the next post, to ask a question or two, to get the conversation rolling with Ben? I feel that might flow a little easier.

 

[James Justice]

James looked like a different man cleaned up, his hair in the signature, perfectly messy state, a fresh iconic jacket over a disheveled but niceish shirt. In a rare moment, the spacer was wearing shorts so the bandages on his left leg had room to breath as he lounged on one of the plush, black leather couches. It was secluded, and this one was as private as things got. Here James had conducted many a successful business venture--and a lot of other successful ventures too.

Aside from the gentle thump of the music from the rest of the club, they were completely unaffected by the outside world. This was a sacred moment for James, he wanted it to be special. Ben had earned his respect not just as a suitor but as a man in his own right. To that end, the tale tell, scantly clad women who served James hand and foot were banished for the time being.

"Things are good," James said with a slight smile as he took the drink, "I found Nyx, she came back. We're giving it another go," he paused, nursing the highly alcoholic beverage for a brief second. He couldn't remember if he had told Jess about--"When I were younger, much younger, I got married to me sweetheart. She died not long after bearin' child. I found her ghost and talked to her, it were closure," he said using the euphemism everyone seemed to like. He had been through an emotional roller coaster ride in the past few weeks and--well, it was wearing on him. He was starting to look a little more worn and little less jovial lately. The party animal was slowly being ground down.

"Tell me, Ben," James said before taking a few gulps of his drink to wash the thoughts away, "I got a lot of spies out there. A network that keeps me informed on me daughters all the time and the crap of this galaxy. And I know a lot bout ye. But that just be words on paper. Can't tell me much about who ye really are, so tell me, what kinda man do ye wanna be? What do ye wanna be remembered for?"

[member="Jessica Justice"]
[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

It had been a long time since Ben was so comfortable. The last instance he could remember, considering it now, was on the sofa bed aboard [member="Jessica Justice"] 's ship on the night that he left Lothal for good. Since then there had been a lot of drifting and sleeping in whatever home for the wayward was available. Ben was nursing his wound, and the recovery was going well. It helped that his injury was not particularly severe. When Jessica asked Ben for a drink preference, he hesitated a moment. He never drank on Lothal, and hadn't really picked up the habit in his exile. He barely knew what options were available to him, so he just attempted to sound confident saying, "I'll have what you're having," with a small smile. When the drink came to him, Ben knew he was outgunned by the Justices after just one sip, but he tried not to let it show.

Being properly introduced to [member="James Justice"] under such private circumstances was endearing to Ben. He had imagined it would be terrifying to speak with him for the first time, knowing only the rumors of his ruthlessness and not much else (Jessica had been rather mute on the matter of her father in previous encounters). Yet, seeing him raw and honest, catching up with a daughter with whom he had had little contact for some time, Ben saw more man than myth. Hopefully it boded well for the young Jedi.

Jame's question hit him hard in that it was something Ben would have been able to answer easily just a year ago. On Lothal, he knew the answers, he had practiced them, but all of that was gone and the galaxy was bigger for him now. The options spread out like a thousand stars, and the correct destinations were no longer highlighted by an older, wiser hand. He took a long swallow of the Reactor core, and tried not to stammer.

"I'd like to be good, I think. If I can't be a good man, I'd like to be good at things, good for people. The kind of person you turn to when you need something done, and you need it done right." He looked down for a second, then to Jessica, and then back to her father. "I want to feel like I've earned things, and that I get what I deserve. More and more I'm learning how much chaos governs the going-ons of the galaxy. I think I'd like to inject order where I can...

...and I'd like to be able to accept the chaos in places where there's no other option, I guess."

He looked around for a moment, wondering if that was enough. He resisted the urge to continue vamping for the sake of saying more, and instead took another sip of his drink.

 

[Jessica Justice]

She grew nervous when her father rounded on Ben. But, then he asked a really good question. A really good one. She couldn't help but be intrigued by what Ben could answer. Her mind raced, filling in possible answers to the question. But then he spoke, and her attention was rapt, keen, and focused on his words.

His words, his answers, were good. She found herself gnawing on her lip, casting her gaze downwards. Ah want ta be like Ben when Ah grow up.... She thought to herself, chagrined. He was a genuinely good man. Much like her father was once upon a time. A good man, capable of amazing things. Perhaps, her father could be like that again. She focused to keep her heart for palpating with excitement of that thought.

Her father, being the cunning, courageous hero once again. He'd sought a lot of self-serving missions in recent times.... but..... who knows..... maybe the right catalyst might help guide him that way again. She'd hoped desperately it might have been her....... but..... What if it could be Ben? She restrained herself, her smile warm, but not over-eager, and her demeanor interested in the conversation, as she turned her attention to her father once more, curious as to his response to Ben's answer.

[member="Ben Corscifine"] | [member="James Justice"]​

 

[James Justice]

James gave a nod. He remembered those days; young, in love, believing he could change the galaxy. In a way he still believed it, just in a much darker sense.

"Somethin' must burn to make the galaxy bright," James murmured to himself, thinking about his calling. He had to be destroyed so his children, the ones they loved, and their children would have a brighter future. To that end, he would gladly burn and suffer. It didn't mean others had to be as ill-fated as he.

"There is beauty in chaos," James mused, half to Ben, half to himself, "A beauty ye can't find elsewhere. Chaos ain't bad," he said louder, "Only what ye do with it. And order? Hell, I seen more damage come from order than chaos sometimes. I seen more damage come from peace than war sometimes," the spacer stopped himself. Damn, when did he start to sound like an old man rambling on about the bad old days? He washed the bitter thought down with a gulp of his booze. He had to stop being so old.

"Tell me what ye think love is," James said at last, settling in deeper on the soft leather couch.

[member="Jessica Justice"]
[member="Ben Corscifine"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

It was interesting to Ben to hear what [member="James Justice"] had to say in response. For so much of his life Ben had grown accustomed to answers that were practiced, formulaic in their analysis of situations small and large. James's answer had an air of uncertainty that read as true. It wasn't that the man didn't clearly have the life experience from which to draw knowledge, it was that the complexity of that experience strengthened a knowledge that he simply did not know everything. It was not what Ben had known on Lothal, to see strength in a level of ignorance. So often, Jedi pretended that either they knew everything or at least that they knew everything worth knowing. The way the older man seemed enveloped in the mystery astounded the younger man.

His second question came as a bit of a surprise: Ben did not realize that this would turn into his opportunity to bare his deepest thoughts in the hopes that the father of [member="Jessica Justice"], the dearest person in his life, would approve of him. All the same, Ben liked James, and it did matter to him that the father approved of the choices of the daughter. If there was something growing between them, it would be much better served in the light of approval than in the obstruction of secrecy and adversity. And Ben was sure it wouldn't hurt for Jessica to know what he thought love was, anyway. If he were ever to offer it to her, he would want her to know what she was getting.

"I have very little experience of love, if I'm being honest, but if you say there's beauty in chaos, I think thats what love is. It's the unknowable, uncontrollable constant. You can't really analyze love, you just recognize that it's there and act on it. In the face of anything. No matter what. And when love comes into conflict, you fight. And I think love can be the bloodiest fighter there is, probably, because it can't be stopped. I think love is the same as being born shorter than you'd like or losing a friend: when it happens to you, you accept it. And when you accept it, it makes you who you are. I think it's one of the most beautiful things there is, to be in love and to accept it.'"

 

[Jessica Justice]

The heiress, seated on the arm of her father's chair, couldn't help but cut a broad smile at the start of Ben's answer. She'd playfully poke at her father's uninjured shoulder at the 'bloodiest fighter' line. But then Ben went deeper. His words resonated with the young woman, as her smile softened, a slight nod of agreement.

"Love gives. Of time, of self. It favors the other." She leaned over to her father, pressing her lips gently against his temple. "Ah'll not spoil ye secret Da." When he'd inevitably ask 'What secret?' she would reply with that mischievous giggle she was known for. "That ye be the lovingest spacer this side o' Kessel!"

After a moment's laughter shared by the trio, she continued. "But in truth, ye are a being of love Da. Ye have all for me an Brooke. Ye almost died countless times for Uncle Ryn." She looked to Ben, still smiling, "Ah think Ah believe Ben be cut of a similar mold, if'n Ah be not mistaken."

[member="Ben Corscifine"]
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

"Oh ye better believe it," James bantered back at his daughter and pulling her close, in the warmth and safety under his arm. He enveloped her body in fatherly bearhug. He never got to coddle her as a baby, as a toddler he never had the chance to pick her up when she fell. But now, James had a chance to hold her and he was going to seize it with both hands. He had come so close to losing her, now he was going to make the most of every chance he had now to hold her close. Yes, he did horrific things, but every time he did it for the right reason, or a reason he thought was right. He loved, and even earlier he had killed for love.

"I can't stand it when people say ye can either be a lover or a fighter," he said running his fingers through his daughter's silky as he spoke. "Cause if ye love somethin' ye are gonna fight for it. If ye really really love it," he smiled down at his daughter then looked back at Ben, square in the eyes, "I've loved many times. I've lost more than any man ever should. I've had me heart ripped out of me chest and shattered into so many pieces I never thought it'd be able to be put back together," he paused, his eyes defocusing, almost at some point by far past Ben's head. His hand stopped in her hair in mid-caress. He was transported back to a time out of mind, a time when he thought he could be happy again. Free, loved, and accepted. The galaxy was his oyster and he didn't know what heartbreak was. He didn't know what it meant to hurt. Now he carried that weight every day.

"Its not something ye come back from," he said softly, "Its the most painful thing in the worlds." James drained his glass, "Where do ye go from here, Ben? What do ye see yeself doing in ten years?"

[member="Ben Corscifine"]
[member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

"Where do ye go from here, Ben? What do ye see yeself doing in ten years?"

This was another question Ben would have been able to anwer a year ago that was completely empty of ease for him now. He still wanted to become a Master of the Force, but he had no order and no desire to join up with another. He was torn between a proper education and his fear of an organized training organization letting him down again. He also knew now that he desired a personal life that was beyond what was allowed by the Jedi. He was selfish, or at least self-serving in his values: his code was to protect what he loved and what he believed in; he couldn't imagine allowing another to tell him what to believe again.

"I want to Master my relationship with the Force. I want a family, and something to believe in. Beyond that, I haven't really got it figured out. If losing everything with the Order has taught me anything, it's to be wary of plans that are too specific: they tend to bite you in the end. I'm holding on to a couple of things and running with them. The rest are details that I can never hope to control."

A long answer, but relative short for the twists and turns that could be expected in ten years' time. "For now, I just want to get back on track with my training, and maybe find a cause to devote my energy to. Drifting is not really my style."

[member="Jessica Justice"] [member="James Justice"]

 

[Jessica Justice]

That smile cut into a grin as her father replied, before settling into the hug. Then he ran fingers through her hair. Jessica considered, internally, that there really was little, to nothing, more relaxing that someone playing with your hair. She relaxed visibly. This was a peaceful place right now. A peaceful atmosphere. Then Ben answered her fathers question. He did not have any defined 'goal' for ten years in the future. He was somewhat lost, and confused. But, he did know where he needed to start.That was important. And in that regard, perhaps the young Jedi had a head start on the heiress.

But he did say he wanted a family. He wants to belong. Her smile softened. He was a gentle soul. A good man. She hoped her father could see it, and could appreciate it. Perhaps... Perhaps he could find something 'safe' here for Ben? Or perhaps find contacts to get Ben established somehow? Her father knew everyone, or at least almost everyone, or so it seemed.... Surely he'd be able to help her friend. She remained quiet for now, but instead keenly watched between the two, curious as to her fathers response to the younger man's measured answer.

[member="Ben Corscifine"] | [member="James Justice"]​

 

[James Justice]

James' glass was empty and he was incredibly comfortable sitting here with his daughter in his arms. So he did what any self-respecting Force user would do; he used Telekinesis to bring a bottle of scotch to his outstretched hand. He bit the bottle cap off and began sipping from the bottle as he listened to Ben.

He pursed his lips. There were two sides of the coin. On one hand, James was who he was--for better and for worse--was because of where he came from. He had started from the bottom, without two tin creds to rub together. He had many a cold, hungry night alone and a ship that barely moved at all. But if he had it again, he would do it again. It made him fast, resourceful, cunning, and able to do what had to be done. It had made him a tough man. He didn't want to take that from Ben.

On the other hand--he didn't want the boy to suffer. He was something special to Jess. He never wanted her, or those close to her to have to go hungry or worry. That was all this was about; taking Soceras, his fleets, his army, everything he was. It was a difficult balance.

"Ain't no one never taught me," James said with a great deal of truth before taking a pull from his bottle. "No one ne'er taught me nothin. I learnt it all by the hardships of everything that happened to me. Ye dun't have to have no one teach you, and from what I found, the best trails are the ones ye make yeself. No one has to teach ye nothin' neither."

And I will always be watching ye. To make sure ye dun't break me girl's heart; by what ye say or by dyin'.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]
[member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

It was an interesting concept: no teacher. There was a time in Ben's childhood when he knew this path well. He couldn't be contained, he was so proud, so adventurous. It took so much to earn his respect and deference in those times, but the Order had made him servile. He felt bound by Codes he had never chosen, and one of those Codes was to alway seek a mentor. For better or worse, those things had become who the young Jedi--the young man-- was. To unlearn them was a frightening prospect, though exhilarating to the part of Ben that he had come to know as his darker side: the part that longed to succeed, to pull himself from the mass and dominate those around him. It was a hubristic individualism that had been at bay in the time when Ben was provided for. Now all he had was himself, and he had to remember liking that feeling.

Although, he had to remember too that he could be without an Order without being alone. He looked to Jessica, herself more a loner than he ever was. Despite her walls, she had trusted him. He was allowed into her personal sphere. He was meeting her father, for kark's sake. Certainly hundreds or thousands of others would give untold credits or limbs for a personal audience with [member="James Justice"]. And here he was, a former wannabe Jedi sitting in his private quarters being treated like family. All because of [member="Jessica Justice"].

He smiled and inclined his head toward the young woman in her father's arms. "True. Although my experience is that sometimes people end up teaching you things whether you're looking for it or not. Maybe what I need are more people and fewer teachers."

 

[Jessica Justice]

She'd smile down at her father, though this one bore a hint of sadness, hearing of her fathers hardship. They really were a lot alike. Her early, formative years were spent learning the hard way how to survive. She barely knew her mother, and had only just recently met her father. She was thankful for what he had done for her so far, and for what he'd do for her in the future. But, she knew that he wasn't being completely truthful.

"Ye be speakin' half-truth's again Da." She'd say playfully, as she'd gently tug the bottle of whiskey away, taking a draw from the bottle herself, before relinquishing it to her father. "Uncle Ryn taught ye ta trust, ta love again, an' ta give of yeself. Ye told me of all the times ye went an' saved each other." She'd chuckle softly. "Ah know, that be not what ye meant. But, I be sayin' Ben be correct, some times ye learnin', without knowin' ye be learnin'."

"For example, Ben taught me that there be decent men out in the galaxy still." She'd say, a playful laugh filling the room. "I was nae out lookin' for that lesson, but I happened across him, and he taught me that there still be men capable of respect." She'd look to Ben, that gentle smile still on her face, thought her eyes lingered on his a moment or two longer than intended. She'd quickly look away, a blush creeping across her cheeks as she felt the heat beneath her skin. She knew she was blushing, because there was no way she'd consumed nearly enough alcohol to have any sort of significant impact like that yet.

Yeah, that boy had a way about her....

[member="Ben Corscifine"] | [member="James Justice"]​

 

[James Justice]

"I think that ye been listenin' to him too much," James said giving his daughter a snarky smile, "If I learnt anythin' from him it was how to hold me breath as I clean out his litter box. Dun't believe a damn lyin' word he says, the fella uses a liter box. He leaves a nasty crap."

Was James serious? Was he lying? There were the rumors, no one every confirmed if sentient felines used liter boxes or if they used conventional human toilets. The worlds would never know.

"Or," James added, "I learnt wear to hide the laser pointer."

He took a pull from the bottle, taking a few swigs, "But, aye, sometimes we learnt like that. Learnt strange things like that bout the galaxy through the people in it." he waved his hand through the air before producing a cigarette and lighting up. He offered one to each of the younger folk in the room with him. He knew his daughter smoked, but he didn't want Ben to feel left out--or unwelcome. "So, aye, ye be right, people are important. Be careful what company ye keep, I am sure ye found out by know that the neive Jedi ideas dun't hold much sway in the real galaxy."

The spacer took a few puffs on his cig, savoring it for a moment, "I know lots of types, senators to Jedi to other planet rulers and soldiers. So tell me, what kind of folk are ye lookin' to learnt from?"

Spoiler

Love ya, bro.

[member="Ben Corscifine"]
[member="Jessica Justice"]

 

[Ben Corscifine]

Ben had never smoked in his life, and honestly had no real interest in it. He knew that Jess did, and it didn't particularly bother him, it was simply a habit that he had never picked up. All the same, when James offered him a smoke, he politely declined with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you, sir, but you wouldn't want to waste any of your cigarettes on me. I have no appreciation for them," Ben joked. He hoped it wouldn't bother James that he had refused his kind offer. As far as the second question, Ben hadn't had bad luck letting people come into his life by accident. He wondered if it would actually help to think about who he would like to cross paths with.

"I want to meet people who can help me improve my skills with my lightsaber. I want to be able to hold my own in a fight. I need to be able to choose my own fights, so I don't want to meet with any Jedi who want to pull me into another Order. Not now. I just want to be able to learn something about fighting without being told how to use what I've learned. They don't even have to be Force-users necessarily...soldiers, generals, people who can teach me something about strategy. And it wouldn't be terrible to meet people who can give me some work. I'm going to need to keep feeding myself if I'm not going back to a Jedi Temple."

[member="Jessica Justice"] | [member="James Justice"]

 

[Jessica Justice]

She took the offered cigarette, taking a prompt drag as soon as it was lit. A long, slow exhalation, almost in perfect unison with her father, had the twin clouds twirling together, mingling in the air, before dissipating, the semi-sweet scent filling the air. A soft sigh was given, it was just another one of the guilty pleasures she and her father shared. Reactor Cores and Reds.

She chewed on her lip as Ben answered. He was only the fourth person she'd really met who used a Lightsaber. There were 'Aunt' and 'Uncle' Raxis, but they were always so busy lately.... and then there was Uncle Ryn. She had heard he worked closely with the Silver Jedi. But Jess has no idea if he would be the type to push an agenda on Ben.

So, she watched and waited. Her keen eyes dancing between the two men. She'd hold off interjecting until it looked like he father had no recommendations.

[member="James Justice"] | [member="Ben Corscifine"]​

 

[James Justice]

James knew there was nothing worse than looking for work. The feeling of helplessness, searching, and the hunger, it was a bad combination. He didn't know if Ben had qualms with stealing. In his poorer days that was how James sated his rumbling stomach many times. Either way, the spacer didn't wanna find out.

"I own an entire planet," James said with a chuckle, "I imagine I could find work for ye somewhere but," he flicked ashes off his cigarette butt and his face became gravely serious, "I'd work ye just as hard as everyone else. Maybe even harder. It ain't me bein' mean and it ain't me bein' cold. But one day if yer luckly and if yer good ye are gonna be with me daughter. An' if that happens? Yer marryin' a Justice. That opens almost as many doors as it closes. Ye'll have to work doubly hard to show the world that it ain't for the name or the power. Now I know it ain't," he tapped his chest, "And ye know it ain't," he waved to the door, "its to show them it ain't. So ye can earn the respect of me people, and the galaxy."

It was how James had gotten where he was. When Rose Blade bombed Dal'Bor, it was James who killed her, not a foot soldier. When the Prosecutor started waging terror tacts, James lead the attack from the front. Every battle, every fight, every war, he fought form the front and lead by example. He had earned more than fear, he had earned the people's respect. And with that, he had won their hearts.

"Whatta ya say, ye in?"

[member="Ben Corscifine"]
[member="Jessica Justice"]