The Evil Empire
Ailin Pasteur had seen better days, Valerian reflected.
He still recognised his grandfather after over three decades of knowing the man. The same skin, wrinkled as it was. The same hair, even as it turned grey. The same eyes, passed down to Juliana, and Valerian in turn. Still, he couldn't deny that age had taken its toll on him. It would be far from the truth to say that Ailin was crippled, but it would likewise be far from the truth to say that Ailin was in as good shape as he'd been twenty, even ten years ago. So when he looked at Valerian, he did so a little slower than he once had. When he spoke, it was slightly softer.
"You know, hypothetically, I could have sold you out to an extremist cell that wants you dead."
But he hadn't lost his tact. Thus, the emperor of the Terran Dominion (and ergo, the most powerful man in the sector), smiled, and took a seat opposite his father within the suite he called home upon Liberty Station. Three walls of the room were decorated with paintings, holograms that recreated famous moments in Umojan history, and various plaques that commemorated Ailin for his service to the Umojan Protectorate. The fourth wall was taken up by a plasteel window that looked out into the darkness of space, and Umoja below. Sweet, beautiful Umoja – a blue and green world so different from the wastes of Korhal. In his heart, Valerian felt a yearning for the world that his mother had called home. In his head however, was a voice that reminded him that this was more than a family reunion.
"I'm wary of hypotheticals these days," Valerian said.
"Indeed?" Ailin poured himself some mineral water into one of the two cups on the table between them. "Why's that?"
"Because the sector's filled with enough uncertainties."
"Do tell."
Valerian could tell from Ailin's voice, and that he refused to meet his eye, that he wasn't that interested in what his grandson had to say. Nevertheless, he persisted.
"The Daelaam still refuse to come to the table after Adena. The zerg look poised to engage in a second Brood War, and like the last one, I fear that we might be caught in the middle. The UED is still out there, and I have no doubt that they'll return one day."
"That's one thing you and I can agree on." Ailin poured his grandson some water as well.
"And then finally, there's the political situation between us," Valerian said.
"Oh. Us is it?"
"Us, as in, the Dominion, the Kel-Morian Combine, and the Umojan Protectorate," Valerian said. He took a sip of the water – it was bitter. A bit too bitter for his liking. He would have taken some wine, but his grandfather had given up the bottle long before his grandson was born. "They're nibbling away at the Dominion's borders. What's more, there's worlds within the Dominion that are demanding independence. We need unity more than ever now, and yet, it feels more distant today than it did after Amon's defeat."
"And so you've travelled across the stars to see me." Ailin leant back in his chair.
"Yes."
"And?"
"And what?"
"And what do you want me to do about it?" Ailin asked. "The Protectorate has survived this long by keeping out of wars. If you want me to end a zerg civil war before it starts, or drag the protoss to the table by their non-existent ears, I'm afraid that simply isn't possible."
"And what of the other things?" Valerian asked. "Things that you might be able to help me with."
Ailin said nothing. He just continued drinking.
"Grandfather-"
"Stop, Valerian." Ailin took a gulp of water and returned the glass to the table. "This is a road I cannot go down."
Valerian frowned. His father had never been the most affectionate of men. The love he'd received in his childhood had mostly come from his mother. Still, there was a coldness to Ailin Pasteur now. One that he neither identified, nor cared for.
"I understand why you're here," Ailin said, as he poured himself some more water. "You travel to the Umoja system to see me face to face. Perhaps part of you does want to see your grandfather. But let's be honest – you're here, because you're afraid that the Dominion might collapse. And you want me to pull some strings in the Council to keep the Protectorate at bay from nibbling away at the Dominion's corpse."
Valerian frowned. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"
Ailin said nothing. He just drank his water.
"Grandfather, you…" Valerian took a breath. "Ailin, you're my last relative. I'm your grandson. We both loved Juliana, we both had…issues, with my father. But surely now that has to count for something."
"It does," Ailin said. "But the personal and the political are two separate things."
"But grandfather-"
"Has it occurred to you Valerian that I might want the Dominion to fall?" He nodded to Umoja, shining in the night. "Has it occurred to you that the over two billion souls who call that world home might want it to fall as well?"
Valerian said nothing. He fingered the rim of his cup, as he might the hilt of a sword.
"Well?"
"I don't doubt that some would want the Dominion to fall," Valerian said. "But for those on the Council-"
"Umoja backed your father, and what did it get us?" Ailin asked. "Five years of misery when we refused to bend the knee."
"Ailin-"
"We helped Arcturus overthrow the Confederacy," Ailin said. "A morally bankrupt, illegitimate regime that belongs in the dustbin of history. And what did Arcturus do? Make something even worse in its place."
"That's debatable."
"Is it? Lay all the bodies at the feet of the Confederacy, then lay all those whose lives ended at Arcturus's, and you'll find that there's a difference between a mountain and a hill."
"Yes, you would. But if you compare the bodies of the zerg in the defence of humanity, you'll find that history favours my father more."
"Says the prince who allied with the Queen of Blades to depose his father." Ailin smirked. "Don't worry Valerian, I know your secret. And I'll keep it." He got to his feet and walked over to the window. "If nothing else, you are my grandson, and you're a better man than your father could ever hope to be. So for that, I'll spare you that ignominy."
"But not spare my rule?" Valerian got to his feet and walked over to join his grandfather. He was wearing the clothing of an emperor – black uniform, red cloak, a sheathed sword, and a holstered pistol. Ailin was dressed in civilian wear, but Valerian knew where the power in this room lay right now.
"Ailin, if the Dominion falls…do you know what that'll do to the sector?"
Ailin remained silent.
"Grandfather?"
Ailin remained silent.
"Do you really have so little faith in me?"
Ailin glanced at Valerian. "Faith," he murmured. "I'm sure the UED had faith when they travelled sixty-thousand light years to conquer this sector."
"I'm sure they would. Though I'm not sure how you would, since they ignored the Protectorate in their brief stay here."
"I have faith in you Valerian. Just not faith in the system you rule over." He frowned, before taking another sip from his cup.
"Grandfather, I know the Dominion isn't a democracy per se, but the freedoms I've allowed-"
"Are academic." Ailin looked back at Valerian. "There's a conversation I had with your grandfather once. Angus Mengsk. You know of him?"
Valerian nodded – he knew of Arcturus's father, but he'd never known him as a man. The Confederacy had made sure of that.
"He called the Confederacy an evil empire," Ailin said. "And I told him that day, that the term 'evil' was redundant. There's no such thing as an 'evil empire,' because all empires are evil by definition."
Valerian frowned. "That's a bit of a simplistic view on things."
"Is it? One group of people holds control over another group of people, regardless of the servants' will. How is that not evil?"
"You could apply that logic to any kind of government."
"I could, but the Protectorate's leaders are elected. You…" He tapped Valerian's chest. "If I were to have you killed right now, who would take the throne? Who would be the emperor of the Dominion?"
"Grandfather-"
"Those worlds that want independence," Ailin said. "Why have you not allowed them to take it?"
"Why? Grandfather, there's a thousand reasons why."
"Do give them Valerian, but before you do that, cut out the ones that have nothing to do with stability, or setting a precedent, or your rule."
"The survival of mankind in the sector?" Valerian watched as Ailin went back to the table. "United we stand, divided we fall?"
"Worlds cry for freedom Valerian, so by definition the Dominion is already divided." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I can't blame you. The Dominion was born in blood. Perhaps your father did believe in so-called enlightened despotism, but we had five years to see how that turned out. And over five years of your rule later, while an improvement, it hasn't changed enough." He looked back up at Valerian. "Empires fall. It's happened to every human empire in history. Even after leaving Earth. It happened to the Confederacy. It'll happen to the Dominion. God willing it'll happen to the UED as well."
"And as the empire falls, the Protectorate swoops in to pick up the pieces."
"As it shall." Ailin gave Valerian a smile. "You know, it's almost a shame you didn't abdicate when General Davis launched her coup. She'd have let you exit with grace, then show the sector the monster she really was, and the Dominion would have fallen years ago." He took another sip of water and sighed. "Now, let's move on to new things."
"New things?"
"Family things. Because you're my grandson, and I haven't seen you in years. Also, I can't help but wonder if I might have great grandchildren before-"
"Ailin, I'm not here to discuss family things."
"Then we have nothing left to discuss." Ailin sighed. "Trust me Valerian, I bear you no ill will. I can't help but look at you and be reminded of my daughter. And yet…" He sighed. "And yet I can't help but see Arcturus in you as well."
"And that's why you won't help me," Valerian murmured.
"That, and loyalty to my people. Judge me if you want, but I must be loyal to mine, as you are loyal to yours. But history will judge us, and while the Dominion may have ensured we have the luxury of continuing to record history, I fear history will not be entirely kind to it." He waved a hand. "Now go."
And with that, Valerian knew the conversation was over. Outside this room, he held power over the sector. Inside it, all the cards were in Ailin's hands.
"Grandfather." He gave a small bow and headed for the exit.
If the cards were in Ailin's hands, then all he could do right now was refuse to play.
A/N
The idea for this came from two sources. First, a statement that basically goes "evil empire is redundant, because all empires are evil." Now, that's a bit simplistic in my mind, because good and evil are very simple, arbitrary terms, but if an empire is defined as one group of people exerting control over another, with the ones in control being based in the original kingdom while those outside form "the empire," then yes, there's arguably a case to be made.
Second idea, or question is, what's Ailin doing in the StarCraft universe these days? Seriously, he's Valerian's last living relative (that we know of at least), but we know that as of the 'present' in the setting, the Umojan Protectorate is making territory grabs from the Dominion. We know that many Umojans dislike the Dominion, but what are Ailin's thoughts? Dunno. But I can speculate.