With a heavy heart, we acknowledge the passing of Queen Kha'la Daaray of the Hapes Consortium. Despite recent controversies, she was a beloved and deeply respected leader, revered by her people and well known to the Kingdom of Devit. We mourn alongside the Hapan people in this time of loss. Our hearts go out to you, just as they did when the Queen's brother and his bride were brutally murdered on their wedding day. The pain of losing a monarch is profound, something our own kingdom understands all too well following the recent loss of our King and Queen. We grieve with you and extend our deepest sympathies.
I was present for both the assassination of Pal'da Daaray and Lady Khal, as well as the killing of Queen Daaray. It pains me deeply that I could not prevent either tragedy. At the wedding, I acted as swiftly as I could when the assassin revealed themselves, but I failed to reach the Pal'da in time. For this, I offer my sincerest apologies to the Hapan people—I failed you as a friend and as a Jedi.
I also failed when I approached Queen Daaray at the onset of her campaign against the Crimson Veil. My youth and inexperience kept me from speaking out when others from the Alliance confronted her with accusations and hostility. I stood by as they provoked her, allowing their disrespect to overshadow the moment when I could have stepped in to mediate. I regret that I did not. I regret that I did not prevent Amani Serys from striking her down.
If I could turn back time, I would do many things differently. I would have worked with the Queen Mother. I understand her pain, perhaps too well, but I still believe there were better ways to handle the threat of the Crimson Veil than open war—methods that would have spared countless innocents. I do not doubt that Queen Daaray acted out of grief and sorrow over her brother's death, but I wish she had seen another path. I believe I could have guided her to this if I had but spoken up, and I apologize for this.
In response to these tragic events, I must condemn three things:
First, I condemn the killing of Queen Daaray. It was unnecessary, even in that moment. Master Serys had the ability to strike in a way that would have incapacitated the Queen and defused the situation, but instead, she acted out of emotion—something unbecoming of a Jedi.
Second, I condemn the Alliance's approach to the Queen. Confronting her with overwhelming numbers, accusations, and a blatant disregard for decorum only inflamed an already volatile situation. Queen Daaray was not beyond reason until she was driven to relinquish it. The leadership of the Alliance failed to acknowledge her grief, treating her as if she were a reckless warlord rather than the sovereign ruler of a vast and powerful Consortium. This was a grave misstep—one that could have been avoided.
Third, I condemn the Crimson Veil. You are a terrorist organization, and you deserve no quarter. No matter your desire for gender equality within the Hapes Cluster, your methods are abhorrent and only serve to undermine your cause. Have you learned nothing from your own history? The women of Hapes were once enslaved and brutalized by men through violence, and now you seek to use the same tactics to overturn the current order of things. Violence will not grant you victory; it will ensure your failure. Every member of the Crimson Veil must be held accountable.
Furthermore, I declare that anyone found on Lazerian IV with any affiliation to the Crimson Veil—whether as a member or in any form of support—shall be considered a criminal in the Kingdom of Devit and treated accordingly. We will not tolerate such actions, and we stand with the leadership of the Hapes Consortium in opposing these terrorists.
Let us learn from this tragedy, and may we honor those lost by striving for a better path forward.
Sincerely yours,
KING OF THE KINGDOM OF DEVIT
