Sins of Empire: CH 5 PT 3

Before the council doors even opened Kara could sense the Grand Admiral's displeasure. When the doors hissed opened and Grand Admiral Delas, Grand General Tye, and Grand Admiral Novas stormed past her. Kara fell in behind them as they proceeded to walk through the maze of the palace corridors.
"Your granddaughter is making a fool out of herself." Novas' voice was set grimly.
"Don't you think I know that?" growled the grizzled Tye as he stalked besides Admiral Delas. "What are we going to do about it?"
"The Vengeance won't be finished for several more weeks. Her sister ships will launch within a month after she's finished." Delas said. "If the Empress would just listen to reason we could have one of those ships waiting for her at Ceraph VII."
"She's not going to wait." Tye stated flatly. "She's trying to prove something."
"To you." Novas said tersely."
"I don't want or need her to prove anything to me." snapped Delas. "It won't change anything."
"She's young." replied Tye. "And she wants you to notice her."
"How can I not notice her?" Delas replied. "I see her nearly everyday because of this damned war."
"You know what I mean boy." Tye snarled. "You just refuse to understand."
"No." Delas stated flatly, stopping and turning on his peers. He looked between them both. "Do not ever mention that to me again or I will challenge one or both of you to a duel to expunge both my honor and the Empress'."
Novas snorted. "Indeed. Since you insist on being as foolish as the Empress, what will you do to alleviate the danger she insists on placing herself in?"
"I have the Renown and her battle group on standby. They'll jump to Ceraph VII when the Corvus jumps."
"They will take longer to arrive." Novas pointed out.
"That is why I will jump them the day of the experiment."
"No you won't." Tye said. "If you do that then the Empress will feel insulted. You must jump after she does."
"What do her feelings matter?" snapped Delas.
"It matters immensely." Tye replied. "If you're not going to come to your senses and be her consort then you must understand that she is trying to impress you. If you are there waiting for her then she will feel that she has not proved anything to you. If you jump into the system after she has already arrived, she will feel that you are worried for her safety and that may engender something akin to common sense in her head."
Kara watched as Admiral Delas' shoulders rose and fell heavily. "Alright. I'll jump the battle group after the Corvus makes its jump. I just hope that will be enough time."
"Ceraph VII's space is in our hands, as is the surrounding system." pointed out Novas. "I don't imagine there will be much of an issue."
"You're forgetting who is in charge of the Ceraph VII campaign." Tye said gruffly.
"Uliel and Riend?" Delas inquired. "They seem to have things in hand."
"General Riend has matters in hand. The reason that Ceraph's space is in our hands now is because of General Riend's planetary and orbital batteries. If Admiral Uliel was running the Ceraph campaign by himself we'd be looking at a system wide occupation instead of an isolated battle for one planet."
"He can't be that incompetent." Novas said skeptically.
"You've never seen him in combat." Delas replied. "He has delusions of grandeur in the extreme."
"I see." Novas considered for a moment. "Will you require any of my forces?"
"No, if need by I will requisition forces from Uliel." Delas replied. "My own forces should suffice. The Empire does not know about this experiment after all. They won't be moving against Ceraph VII in force anytime soon. They have other matters to attend to."
"Yes." Novas remarked with a raised brow. "Your light forces seem to be causing them a good deal of trouble."
"That's what they're for." Delas replied with a boyish grin that for a moment melted all the stress from the last months away from his features.
"Just be sure you understand what the Empress is trying to do." said Tye as he turned to walk away. "And be mindful of Uliel's ego. Once you jump into his theater he is going to feel his abilities are being called into question."
"I'll be careful." replied Delas as his two peers walked away.
Kara remained silent for a time as they stood in the echoing hallway alone. She could feel the turmoil of the Grand Admiral's thoughts brewing below the surface of his mind though she respected his wishes and did not delve into them deeply.
"Kara." he said finally.
"Yes sir?"
"Should I just give in and bed the Empress?"
Surprisingly, annoyance flowed through Kara at the thought of the Grand Admiral and the Empress lying together. She gained a grip on her own rampant emotions and replied as truthfully as she could.
"I don't know sir. If that is what is required to salve her temper...then perhaps."
He laughed, it was a harsh sound with no mirth behind it. "Stars preserve me. Here I am trying to maintain my objectivity as her adviser and all her other advisers are advising me to sleep with her and lose that objectivity."
Kara's eyes narrowed as she cast her mind across his. "Is it objectivity you wish to avoid? Or merely the power and responsibility that such a position would give you?"
The Grand Admiral's back straightened and he looked up at the high vaulted ceiling overhead.
"Yes." he said finally with a resigned sigh. "I just don't want the responsibility."
Kara nodded her understanding. "Yet you already are given as much responsibility as an officer in the Empire can have."
"And stars Kara, it terrifies me." he replied. "That so many lives depend on my actions. Commanding the forces in the Renown's battle group is scary enough...but I will be aboard her to make sure that nothing goes wrong...when I have to issue orders to the strike groups behind the Eternal Empire's lines, damn me it's all I can do to sleep at night."
"You aren't a coward sir."
He snorted bitterly. "Aren't I?"
Kara's eyes narrowed. "Don't force me to go into your mind and show you personally what you are capable of."
He turned to regard her quietly, his expression a mixture of mirth and horror. "You wouldn't dare shatter my self-image like that."
She stared back at him dangerously. "Call yourself a coward again sir, and see what happens."