Holonet Serena Harth Live: Kha'la Daaray, Queen Mother of Hapes

[Serena Harth]

Kha'la Daaray - [Closed]​

As morbid as it was, Serena's career had been propelled years ahead by her coverage of the Hapan royal murders. She had recorded everything, and relayed key information via firsthand account. It gave her a reputation amongst her peers as a dauntless pursuer for truth. But now that she was about to come face to face with the Queen Mother, a woman of great power, and a direct victim of the violence, Serena couldn't help but feel almost guilty. Kha'la's grief was Serena's ratings. Hopefully, the Queen didn't see it that way. She had at least agreed to the interview, after all. This was an opportunity for her to speak her mind to the galaxy as well.

After a final mic check, Serena took her seat in the royal conference room, clipboard in hand, suddenly realizing that her interviewee was probably much more comfortable in front of the camera than she was. Serena much preferred having her ear to the streets, at the epicenter of the acton. Not under bright lights and in front of the holo screen. But the countdown started, and she couldn't dwell on it any longer.

---

"Hello and welcome, dear viewers!" She started with a forced smile, "This is Serena Harth, at the Hapan Royal Palace. And joining me tonight, as you no doubt already know, is the Queen Mother of Hapes, Kha'la Daaray herself." She turned toward the woman sitting opposite her, and the camera did as well. For the viewers, the shot then transitioned to various (safe for holovision) scenes from the day of the attack, "Only a few days ago, Hapes was the target of a plot to assassinate the Lady Shaya Khal, and Prince Astor Daaray, at their wedding. They both lost their lives that day, as well as Admiral Liram Angellus of the Galactic Alliance, who was slain while trying to fight back against the plotters." The camera focused back on the two women in the room. "Many others are still injured, and the rest of the galaxy is left wondering: What comes next?"

Serena turned to Kha'la properly now, "Queen Mother, I wanted to start tonight by thanking you for being here, and offering my condolences. I was there at the wedding myself, and witnessed it all firsthand. I know it must be difficult to be here now, just a few days later. How are you holding up?"

 

[Kha'la Daaray]

Kha'la sat upright, her posture commanding and regal, but the fire in her sharp emerald eyes betrayed the storm raging within her. Gone was the warm, radiant queen who once inspired her people with grace and charm. In her place sat a woman hardened by grief and consumed by unrelenting fury.

As Serena's opening remarks concluded, the Queen Mother allowed a tense silence to hang in the air, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. When she finally spoke, her voice was steady, but the venom beneath it was unmistakable.

"Hatred," Kha'la began, her tone sharp and unyielding. "That is all I feel. My brother, Prince Astor Daaray , was murdered in cold blood on what should have been the happiest day of his life. The Crimson Veil didn't just kill him — they defiled Hapan soil with their cowardice and treachery. And I will not stand for it."

Her voice grew sharper, each word cutting through the air like a blade. The grief buried beneath her boiling anger threatened to surface, but she forced it down with sheer resolve. "The Crimson Veil and their conspirators sought to tear apart the foundation of Hapes, to destabilize our people with fear and bloodshed. But they have failed. They will not break us. Instead, they have lit a fire that will burn their entire network to ash."

She paused, her emerald eyes locking onto Serena with a piercing intensity. "Their names, their faces, every last one of them — they will be hunted. They will be found, and they will be eliminated."

Leaning back slightly, Kha'la drew in a breath, though the inferno in her gaze remained undimmed. Her voice dropped lower, but it lost none of its power as it filled with a raw, controlled emotion. "So, to answer your question... I am holding up as any Queen Mother should. I will mourn my brother, in time. But action — decisive, unrelenting action — is the only way to honor him now. That is what he deserves."

Serena Harth

​

 

[Serena Harth]

Kha'la Daaray
Crimson Veil cited with help and permission from Kalen​

The tension in the room simmered for a few discomforting moments. The Queen Mother's anger may not have been directed at Serena, but she carried it with her, in such a way that Serena couldn't help but shift anxiously. When she at last spoke, Kha'la let the whole galaxy feel that anger in each and every word. Serena did her job, and listened, her professionalism only slipping in the form of a few rapid blinks, when Kha'la laid the groundwork for her retaliation.

"Well… You certainly don't mince words, Queen Mother," Serena said after another pause. She adjusted herself in her seat, glanced towards the cambot, then continued, "The Crimson Veil has recently issued its motives publicly. They claim to fight for Hapes' freedom from monarchy, and describe the Consortium as a 'cult of personality to the despot Queen Mother'." Serena paused for a moment, then continued, "…They also claimed you would prove them right with your inevitable response."

"So I suppose my question is, Queen Mother: Do you think there is any room for peaceful negotiation with these people? Or others who have voiced their displeasure with the Consortium?"

 

[Kha'la Daaray]

Kha'la's sharp emerald eyes narrowed, her posture remaining impeccably poised, though the intensity in her gaze seemed to cut through the very air. She allowed Serena's question to linger for a moment, the weight of the room pressing down in the silence before she finally spoke.

"Peaceful negotiation?" Kha'la echoed, her tone laced with incredulity. "With those who spill innocent blood on sacred ground as their way of negotiating? With those who cowardly strike at families on what should have been a day of unity and joy?"

She leaned forward slightly, her voice steady but charged with icy determination. "There is an old saying among the stars: poke the Nexu, and you'll find its claws. The Crimson Veil has made their choice. They have chosen chaos over discussion. Bloodshed over dialogue. And war over peace."

Kha'la straightened, her regal demeanor unwavering as she continued. "The Hapan people and Alliance were given a voice when the Equal Rights bill was passed — a change unseen since the days the Lorell Raiders were destroyed by the Jedi. A voice that I supported, even at great risk to the monarchy. That legislation was a commitment to change, to progress, to addressing the grievances of those who felt unheard. And that voice will remain. The people of Hapes will always have a platform to speak their minds, to express their concerns without fear of retribution."

Her expression darkened, the fire in her emerald eyes flaring once more. "But the Crimson Veil forfeited that right the moment they turned their weapons on my family, on my people. They forfeited their claim to negotiation the instant they chose treachery and murder over discourse. They have declared war on the Consortium, and I will not rest until every last one of them is but another name lost to the annals of history."

Her voice grew quieter, colder, as she leaned forward, locking her piercing gaze on Serena. "They started this war, Miss Harth. And I intend to end it."

Serena Harth

​

 

[Serena Harth]

Kha'la Daaray​

"Many believe Hapes has not upheld its end of the ERA," Serena replied, finding some confidence as she focused on discussion itself, rather than the cameras and lights. "And given… recent events, it seems tension has only grown regarding the gender hierarchy, and the Hapan government as a whole. Do you think this kind of response will lessen that divide?" She paused for a moment, not wanting to get too caught up in the moment. Her follow-up question returned to a slower, more professional tone.

"Is there more the Consortium can do to show they believe in an equal society, as expressed in the Equal Rights Act?"