Chromium

14.1

"Shouldn't I ask you the same question?"

Omen frowned, staring at her in obvious confusion.

"Sarah said that your vitals were elevated." Dia cocked her head speculatively. "But you seem...fine."

"Ah, I see." Omen said, comprehension dawning on his face. "Don't worry about that. Sarah...overstated a bit."

It was her turn to frown. "That seems dangerous. What if Reyes found out?"

Omen didn't seem worried. "It's unlikely. Sarah is the only person around with medical training."

"She seems very...protective of you." She said, and despite herself, her expression was as sour as her voice.

"That she is." Omen said in a dry tone. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Not really." Dia shifted uneasily in her chair. "I'm trying not to think about it."

Omen grunted, evidently unconvinced. "You shouldn't blame yourself, Dia. Reyes was in command. There was nothing either of us could do."

"Maybe but..." She shook her head. "I just can't believe that they were all involved in this."

"They weren't." Omen said. "Probably only the senior officers were aware of what was happening."

"So, they were innocent." She said in a quiet, dull voice. "Thousands of people died because a few officers wanted to fill their pockets."

"They died because Reyes killed them." His voice lowered to a pitch. "And he'll pay for that. I promise you that, Dia."

"They were dirty, Omen." She said quietly. "I'm not trying to defend Reyes, but he did offer them a way out."

Omen's eyes flashed with fury. "So you're saying they deserved it?"

"I didn't say that." Her voice shook, and she struggled to bridle her anger. "But if the Empire weren't corrupted, something like this would have never happened."

"Corruption is inevitable, Dia. Before the Empire, there were hundreds of states, hundreds of governments, and every one of them was corrupted."

"At least the people elected those governments." She countered.

"And what good did that do?" He asked. "World war III was the direct result of those twisted teachings. Look at those rebels living in the Fringe worlds. They advocate for democracy, but I have observed the way they live. The slums on Rigel V, Nualiv, Xaphus - their strongholds in the Fringe sector - are real circles of hell. Those rebels" His expression twisted with distaste. "are just latching on to the remnants of a failed ideology." He shook his head. "No, Dia, democracy is not the answer. As the first Emperor said, a smart person is better than hundreds of fools."

Dia rolled her eyes at him. "That assuming the person in command is not an idiot."

Omen's expression became strained. "That's the flaw in the system. Just like it happened to the ancient Romans, the Empire has fallen into the hands of lower men. The corruption spreading across the Empire is just a reflection of the degeneration of the imperial family."

"Then isn't better to change?" She wondered out loud. "I don't know how democracy works, but it seems better than the alternative."

The corner of his mouth ticked up. "That's because you don't see the whole picture. Without the Empire, no one would be able to keep the Navy in check. Many captains would turn into pirates while admirals and local governors would become warlords, local tyrants holding the power of life and death. They would fight each other over resources, territory. Billions of people would die." He said, his gaze roving her face.

Dia didn't look impressed.

"You know, the same argument is used to support the thesis that organized crime is better than disorganized crime." Dia said, her voice dripping sarcasm.

Omen pressed his lips together. "No system is perfect, Dia. Change is not always a good thing."

"We'll have to agree to disagree on this one, Omen." She replied. "Frankly, I can't imagine it can get any worse."

Omen bared his teeth in a humorless smile. "You would be surprised, Dia. There's always a way for things to get worse."

There was a quiet, deadly silence, and the Omen abruptly asked, "So, are you ready to continue your training?"

"Now?" Dia frowned, eying the pirates staggering across the deck below. "I don't think this is the right moment, Omen."

Omen's expression didn't change. "It's the best moment. Most of the pirates are busy getting drunk," He turned to face the men singing at the counter, his shoulder tense.

Dia followed his gaze. The pirates were celebrating their victory and cursing the "imperial dogs".

Dia winced, anxiety and calculation warring for space in her eyes. Omen sat in apparent relaxation and calm, but she could clearly see his cold, flat blue eye burning with fury. Mental conditioning or not, he was on the edge of losing control.

I have to get him out of here.

"Let's go." She said.

Then she grabbed his arm and dragged him away.