End of Line...

[Ophelia]

"Yes mother." Ophelia said dutifully. "I'll make the villainous speech and idiotic displays of dominance after she's dead. Even if the head is taken, there are still a few moments where she'll hear them." she chuckled lightly. "A pity though, she could have been better than me as a swordswoman. Such power in her strokes, what I lack in power, I make up for in accuracy. Lady Thade was an excellent teacher in that regard." she removed her high heel and unscrewed the heel from the base of the shoe. "A present... this kilden crystal belonged to one of the grand masters, Supposedly this late great master was responsible for decimating the Ajem'dasis order in this reality at one point." she shook the crystal out from the hollowed out part of her heel and handed it to her mother. "It has a lot of power... the Iljuna is very strong with this, that's why I kept it in my heel, I had it around my neck and it almost burned my chest, ruined a rather nice lace top."

[Bellatrix]

"Powerful artifact indeed," Bellatrix said. "It's your trophy, and perhaps you should see if you can bend the crystal to your will. If you can, it will be a powerful ally to you."

[Ophelia]

"Then I shall do that." Ophelia replied as she held the crystal up to the light. "So what has father said about our little turncoat? Taking his aggression out on someone close to her age?"

[Bellatrix]

"No. I have been avoiding him to be honest with you. I fear that we would end up accusing each other, and neither of us has it in them to stand down. We'd likely destroy one or both of us. No, it's best we both have our time for now. Now, sit child and eat. Ian, go into the kitchen and tell the chef you and your sister will be joining me."

"Yes mother," Ian said humbly. He stalked off to through the door that led to the kitchen.

"So," she said to Ophelia as she refilled her wine glass. "You are the only child that hasn't failed me. What is your father's next move now that he destroyed the Federation's depository of knowledge?"

[Ophelia]

"Not entirely sure, but I did hear him mention something about working out an environmental solution to reduce planetary populations. The elements he was harvesting and the research he's been after is part of it. He isn't always very clear about his plans until he sets them into motion. Now one of the other Dominus' from another reality did tell me that there is a plan in motion to create what they are calling the Infinite Empire. Where not only one world, but numerous copies of that world, will be used to provide resources for our plans. I think father wants to set us up as a pantheon of gods and goddesses that will control the galaxy not just in this universe but others. He was inspired by your clone army. Legions of loyal beings who live and die at our whim, who live only to accomplish what we wish and lay down their lives when we have no more need of them."

Ophelia traced her finger across the glass and looked at her mother. "I think your union with father was something he needed to focus himself, decades toiling away in Pythus, but look what we accomplished in only months. Sure we have had our set backs, but worlds have been crushed. Billions have already died at our hands, there were far far too many sentient beings in the galaxy anyway. Thank you for creating me... I may not always be quite as... focused as you are, but then again I much of my life experience was done virtually in time dilation, excellent simulations and trainers, but there is something to be said about learning from experience and knowing that each action has a direct cause and effect." she created a small fireball in her hand and quenched it. "Someday father will fall, as you will... but I hope that I will be able to continue your mission. At least I had the foresight to set up clones of myself, I back up my memory engrams constantly and each generation of body I enter is a bit more refined than the last." she hummed. "I could do the same for you mother, back up plans, if this entirely goes south, we can simply go to another reality, one that is already under our thrall."

[Bellatrix]

"You or your bother are our destiny," Bellatrix said in a matter of fact tone. "At some point one of you will kill your father and I and take your birthright. And you or Ian will be at the top of the heap, but you cannot share that throne. It will destroy what has been built. So if you two are still alive at that point one of you must kill the other. Your sister was insurance in case you or Ian failed. You are in many ways further ahead of your brother, but he has something that you haven't experienced, and that's failure. Failing is the greatest teacher out there."

Setting her glass down she pushed her half eaten salad away and tapped her right index finger on the table in thought. After a moment she nodded to herself, "No, Ophelia I will not allow a duplicate to exist. The thread that is my life must be finite. Mortality makes me cautious, and your father's ability to move from body to body makes him reckless. It's a perfect, and a complementary dynamic. I don't fear death, I welcome it, but now is not my time. I know this with the certainty that there will be a tomarrow."

[Ophelia]

"I understand mother." Ophelia said with a nod of her head. "There are still many lessons you have to teach us. And you are right, I haven't experienced true failure, not like Ian, simply because I am that mix of you and father, his reckless and your cautious. Of course, I DID end up killed when Jack and Kinsey escaped us, didn't quite see that coming, but I saw it more as a way to ensure that my clone refinement worked, even if I had to experience puberty all over again. It was enjoyable testing out this body." she chuckled. "I do not fear death, but I only fear that we would lose what we have already committed great resources and effort to building. The blood we've spilled and the worlds we've crushed. If we were only after destruction, there are simpler ways of doing that."

[Bellatrix]

"The galaxy is like that crystal of yours. Bending it to your will takes effort nearly beyond comprehension. But, first we must break the people down. Crush their hope, and force them to live in fear. Then a new normal creeps in, and they become used to their new position. Eventually what was is forgotten and what is is all they know."

[Ophelia]

"That is something I have noticed happens and it happens so subtly and almost too easily among some groups of people." Ophelia chuckled. "Not every group, are so stubborn and never truly learn to submit. They always cling to some hope of salvation or that they can overpower. It helps when you start removing resources from them, even their own... I've found that removing a lung seems to stop a lot of fight. They can still breathe enough oxygen to survive, but they don't have the stamina to fight, only to do singular labor at a steady pace. Once they get used to it, they realize there isn't anything they can do to fight. Of course, many choose suicide, but... they're culling the herd for us."

[Bellatrix]

"If you have the resources to quell rebellion, you approach it with a heavy hand, and kill those that resist. This way you weed out the problem people immediately. But, you have to relax your grip. Give them just enough freedom to keep them from rebelling. Also make sure to reward those that deserve reward, and make sure it's an actual reward. A pat on the head doesn't last. But, yes dear there are problems that need to be solved with a hammer, and your father is a sledgehammer. That said we do have a problem that requires a more subtle approach. The Cardassians. They are far too friendly with the Alliance, and I expect them to provide help at any moment. We need to dissuade them of that course of action without opening a third front for us to fight. What do you suggest?"