A Gilded Cage is Still a Prison

[Bellatrix]

House only shrugged, not wanting to continue the argument. Bellatrix nodded to the LMH and deactivated him through the oversized bulky mobile emitter.

She gilded across the room and sat down across from Trinity. She pressed a button on a wristband, and an ancient tome materialized. "Your mother wasn't particularly loyal, but she was clever I'll give her that," Bellatrix said of the transporter buffer band. She handed the book to Trinity, "I would very much like for you to read this. As much of it as you can. It's rather large, so I understand that it may not be possible to read it from cover to cover, so I have marked the important chapters. Once you get through a few of the chapters the Tudor era English and handwriting won't be so difficult to decipher."

It was well worn volume, bound in cracked and scuffed red leather. The spine had nearly completely deteriorated from age. The edges of the pages were blackened by countless fingers, and just barely legible was the ornate gold leaf lettering, tarnished, cracked and flaked away read, "A Compendium of the Sith and Ajem'dasis Orders" across the front. At the bottom was the byline; Henry VIII, Rex Britannia.

[Trinity Talon]

"So you honestly think I'm going to be swayed by a book your version of Henry the 8th wrote?" Trinity raised an eyebrow. "I mean I'll read it, I read nearly anything just to gain whatever insight and knowledge I can, but I've never been swayed by a book. I only pretended to like Harry Potter when Bella would read it to me. I enjoyed the movies... but magic never impressed me. Not when I know there is real power out there." she took the book and narrowed her eyes. "I'm really going to enjoy annoying you with things I learn in this... because I'm pretty sure there are two sides to every thing."

[Bellatrix]

"You misunderstand. The Ajem'dasis and the Jase'dasis are the same. No real difference. In fact Henry the Eight used the the Dasis schism as the justification for the creation of the Church of England. The Ajem aren't evil, despite the propaganda the Jase'dasis spread. We just don't cower from love, and ambition. Are there evil Ajem? Absolutely Colonel, absolutely. But, there are plenty of evil Jase'dasis as well." She shrugged, "Though admittedly our philosophy tends to attract the evil. But, even the pure can become evil, and exploit the dark side for their gains. Read the rise and fall of Darth Reven and his friend Malak. Read about Darth Plagus, and lords Vectivus, Cicero, and Churchill. Even Alexander the Great was one of our own."

[Trinity Talon]

"My grandfather had been a proponent of a sort of... grey order. I suppose working with a woman like my grandmother for so long and the likes of Section 31 and the Federation Secret Service, you learn there are dark ways of accomplishing good things." Trinity replied.

[Bellatrix]

"Exactly!" Bellatrix said with a grin. "The universe is a harsh place Colonel. Ruling it isn't for the weak and timid, nor does it work under the tyranny of an iron fist. To be an effective ruler you have to walk that tightrope of just the right amount of compassion and ruthlessness. I have been called evil, but it was under my leadership that I destroyed the Cardassian Central Command and gave Bajor back to the Bajorans. One woman's villain is another's hero Colonel. There are two sides of every story."

Bellatrix drew her kliden and set it on the table between them. "Let's see how much discipline you have over the ijulna. Reach out with your mind and take my kliden."

[Trinity Talon]

Trinity gave her a look. "Seriously... when have I ever had that ability?" she looked at it and it didn't budge. "Genetics aside maybe I just don't have it."

[Bellatrix]

"That's remarkably disappointing," Bellatrix sighed. "But, I can stilll use you for the positive." She stood, "Keep the kliden. See if you can figure it out."