“‘But the others—’ A sudden fear seized her. ‘They’re still with me, aren’t they? They’re loyal?’

[…]

‘You really can’t see past yourself, can you?’ Chaghan’s lip curled.”

This quotation shows Rin’s character at the beginning of the novel. She sees the other members of the Cike only as a means to an end. She is motivated by a selfish desire for vengeance with little care for their lives, which is what Chaghan notices and mocks her for.

“‘I was trying to see what it was like,’ he said. […] ‘How they felt. In the moment it happened. In their very last seconds. I wanted to know how they felt when it ended.’”

This quotation characterizes Kitay, who is established as a foil to Rin early on. He is highly ethical and sympathizes even with Nikan’s enemy, the Federation of Mugen, which was responsible for the genocide of his people. While Rin is driven by selfish rage, Kitay is driven by empathy and logic. Here, he is explaining why he burned his arms after witnessing the genocide of the Mugenese.

“I am going to transform the Empire into a republic—a great republic, founded on the individual freedom of men. Instead of Warlords, we would have elected officials. Instead of an Empress, we would have a parliament, overseen by an elected president. I would make it impossible for a single person like Su Daji to bring ruin upon this realm.”

Vaisra explains his philosophy and the justification for his rebellion. This romanticized and neat picture of rebellion wins over Rin, who hadn’t thought about the fate of the country past her revenge, showing her short-sightedness. Though Vaisra ultimately fails in his quest, Rin learns from his philosophy of civilian empowerment.