04. mental link

[exhuxperation]

COMMAND over oneself and others	AMBITION nothing will stand in my way
ORDER chaos will not be tolerated	MANY over the individual

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

Comments

[snaphiss]

[Of course, now that Mara has all the information, she lets Hux know her mind. She prefers to leave people spinning in the wind until she feels confident her judgement won't fall on deaf ears.]

( The people who criticize you for this are soft. They haven't seen war, don't understand fighting for what they believe is right. They think every military action has someone cackling at the helm, glorying in the destruction. )

[exhuxperation]

( Perhaps. Their way of fighting is too different.

However, I wonder if there had been another option. Strategically, the amount a zero-sum should come up is close to nil. I suppose if there had been another case, they would be disappointed in the method. This was still the most effective course. )

[ He'd been proud of the achievement. Of the hard work paying off and the possibility of starting fresh. Now some of that is shaken, especially in the face of being here. With all of his own crew gone. Had it been worth it? ]

[snaphiss]

( The fact that you question yourself shows your worth as a leader. )

( What do you prioritize in battle? Victory? Minimizing losses? Honorable strategy? That's what decides the best course of action. )

[exhuxperation]

( Even if I were to show the questioning, I doubt any will be swayed, considering the circumstances.

My only regret is this will put a damper on organizing the group. I've yet to see anyone else step up– if we can't work together, it's going to ruin us and the mission. I'll hardly stop trying, though regaining trust will not be easy. )

[snaphiss]

( You're a general, not a politician. I don't believe we have anyone here suited for leadership on the scale you're looking for. )

( Do you really believe this mission is in dire straights? )

[exhuxperation]

( Granted. I doubt we'll see Nirad or Carata step in either.

Not currently, but with the amount of disarray, I have little faith in the group surviving if something drastic were to happen. Most if not all have incredible abilities with little knowledge on how to use them. Many are still too pre-occupied with keeping everyone out and therefore not necessarily communicating.

Essentially, it's much like a band of operatives who got transferred out from different leadership. We're under the same banner but that won't mean anything if we can't stop antagonizing each other. )

[snaphiss]

( And you're not content to let the weak fall and the strong rise to the top? That is what would have been done in the Empire. )

( What do the people under your command mean to you, Hux? )

[It's the first time she hasn't called him 'general'.]

[exhuxperation]

( When connected to each other so strongly, leaving the weak behind becomes a last resort. The Empire did not have what amounts to a large group of Force users all mentally chained to each other.

They can mean success. A united force– there's nothing quite like it. My own ambition aside, being a part of something that could make a difference; that is the most potent thing. )

[snaphiss]

( I wouldn't be so quick to say what the Empire did and didn't have. )

[lmao]

( You wish to make the station your ideal Empire, now? The Empire ruled by fear, not inspiration. )

[exhuxperation]

[ Hmm, had there been a giant group of Force users in the Empire? ]

( If I were to be entirely selfish, yes. Currently, I'd rather we could just focus on the mission and move on without more haranguing.

Fear is a great motivator, but it's not ideal for the long term. Give someone something to look forward to and they're more likely to fight for it. )

[snaphiss]

( Did the destruction of Hosnian further that goal? )

[exhuxperation]

( It was supposed to be. At the time it happened, I believe it did what it was set to do. The weapon and planet it was carved into met its destruction though, at the hands of the Resistance, shortly after.

Or it was expected to implode; I was still planetside finding Ren when I was brought here. )

[snaphiss]

( No matter the stated reason, motives or ideals, destroying any planet will only sow fear. In war, that's all it can do. )