Captain Sen

"If we help him, he'll only tell the others what we've done. We have to let him go."

- Captain Sen convincing Aishi to let a child drown in their childhood.

Captain Sen is a minor villain in the video game Jade Empire. He's an Imperial Army officer stationed in the Imperial City. He appears in the third chapter, offering to the player character two sidequests, which, after completion, lead to a third one heavily involving Sen himself.

He was voiced by Fred Tatasciore.

Background
As a boy, Sen was a bully who enjoyed tormenting the other children of his home village. Unfortunately, he also displayed natural leadership skills which drew the attention of an orphan girl named Aishi. She fell in love with Sen and joined in his bullying.

One day, Sen pushed a young boy into a river outside of town. The child managed to grab hold of a rock and scream for help. Aishi was about to help him, but Sen stopped her with following words: "If we help him, he'll only tell the others what we've done. We have to let him go." The child was swept away by the current and discovered dead days later. Sen and Aishi weren't caught, but they broke up. The remorseful Aishi went on to become a notorious criminal and murderer who was known as Aishi the Mournful Blade due to her blatant sadness. The unremorseful Sen in turn joined the Imperial Army and became a captain.

Captain hiring bounty hunters
When the last Spirit Monk arrives in the Imperial City, Imperial Captain Sen is in the Market Square, stationed by the gate. He's searching for help in tracking down wanted criminals, and since the mercenaries he's been expecting for are late by several days, he considers the Spirit Monk who has the look of a warrior. He gives two bounties on criminals he hasn't had luck in tracking down. One is an insane arsonist named Fading Moon who first committed arsons in the poor districts before committing her last one in the Market District gate. The other is a (supposed) confidence man called Creative Yukong who petitioned silver from Lord Rento's wife for his acting career, angering Lord Rento to place a death warrant on him.

Fading Moon is found and fought to the dead in the Necropolis, after which Sen rewards the Spirit Monk with 2000 silver pieces. He gives the same reward if Creative Yukong is killed upon being found in the Scholars' Garden. With sufficient persuasion skills, Sen can be persuaded to raise the standard reward to 4000 silver pieces before the bounties are collected.

If the Spirit Monk decides to help Creative Yukong to escape the city, they will keep Sen distracted as Yukong (disguised as a mercenary) attempts to walk past through the gate, failing to remain inconspicuous due to his antics. The Spirit Monk says that Yukong has already fled the city, but Sen is skeptical, finding it unlikely that Yukong could have already sneaked past him and knowing that a scholar (the disguised Yukong) left the garden after talking with the Spirit Monk. He offers extra silver for answers three times, naming the last offer as the normal bounty and a half. Acceptance of the offer by turning Yukong in earns the Spirit Monk 3500 silver pieces. If Yukong's allowed to escape, Sen declares Yukong's bounty a dead matter, leaving the Spirit Monk only the 250 silver pieces they can demand from Yukong in exchange for help as well as Open Palm points (with the other two alternative ways to complete the quest earning Closed Fist points).

The past catching up and Shen's fate
After both of Captain Sen's bounties are completed, a mysterious old man (the ghost of Aishi the Mournful Blade's father) approaches the Spirit Monk, informing that Aishi the Mournful Blade (whose bounty is higher than those of Fading Moon and Creative Yukong) is hiding in the Black Leopard School. If Captain Shen's questioned about Aishi, he tells only what's common knowledge. He doesn't believe her to be in the city because she has kept a low profile. She has actually come to the city with the intention to kill Shen for what he did to the drowned boy before paying for her own crimes. Aishi will tell her life story and of her and Shen's role in the fate of the drowned boy if the Spirit Monk agrees to listen. She will speak freely to the Open Palm player, but has to be persuaded to speak to the Closed Fist player.

If the Spirit Monk fails to convince Aishi to share her tale or decides to kill her at any point, Sen rewards the Spirit Monk with 2500 silver pieces and the Gem of Mastery. He then asks them to remain silent about the affair and leaves, anticipating his superiors to be pleased enough to promote him. He muses about the possibility of being assigned to look after the slaves transferred to the Wall, looking forward to the opportunity to "test" them. This also gives the player Closed Fist points.

Alternatively, the Spirit Monk can agree to take Aishi before Sen under the guise of a subdued prisoner. Sen is shocked to see Aishi, but her guise of a subdued prisoner calms him to suggest that she has become weak since their childhood. To that she says that she was weak for listening to him and announces her intention to kill him. Scared, Sen calls for the guards, but Aishi says them to be unable to stop her and tells Sen not to order them to senseless death. Sen then asks for the Spirit Monk's help, offering to double the bounty. If the offer's accepted and Aishi is killed, Sen gives 5000 silver pieces and the Gem of Mastery before leaving like described above. Refusal is done by throwing Sen's own words back to him: "If I help you, you'll only tell the others what I've done. I have to let you go." Enraged by this, Sen curses Aishi and the Spirit Monk, swearing to ensure that the underworld won't have them. He's then killed by Aishi who then attacks the Spirit Monk, forcing them to kill her like she wanted. The ghost of Aishi's father then rewards the Spirit Monk with 2500 silver pieces, the Gem of Unity and Open Palm points.

Personality
Imperial Captain Sen is a well-respected officer in the Imperial City, but Silk Fox has a feeling of him being a man of well-hidden ambition. He is professionally civil and offers a good deal of silver for the help in catching criminals, even offering extra to get results. He isn't too sympathetic for the poor folk who suffered due to Fading Moon's arsons, saying that targeting scholars and merchants to be a bigger offence. If told that the poor deserve protection as well, he says that they shall have it exactly as much as they can afford as taxpayers.

As a young man, Sen was a bully who enjoyed tormenting other children. He was also a natural leader with drive and direction that caused Aishi to fall in love with him. When he pushed a child into a river, Aishi saw in his eyes a sadistic gleam. He never displayed remorse for the murder he convinced Aishi to remain silent about. If he lives, he looks forward to his promotion, calling it a delightful opportunity to "test" the slaves transferred to the Wall. Seeing Aishi before him shocks him, but her guise of a subdued prisoner calms him enough to say that she has become weak for not fighting to the death like he expected. When she announces her intention to kill him, he panics and doesn't try to fight back, first calling for the guards and then trying to bribe the Spirit Monk to protect him. This makes him a hypocritical and cowardly follower of the Way of the Closed Fist.

Quotes
"What is the meaning of this? (Aishi: Hello my love. Or should I call you by your rank now, Captain Sen? Surely it's been a very long time.) Aishi? What are you doing here? You're a wanted criminal! You can't be here! (The last Spirit Monk: So you do know each other!/Do you deserve to be standing here any more than her, Captain?) (Aishi: It's time I paid for my crimes.) Well, it's good to see our new bounty hunter was able to bring you in. Frankly, Aishi, I thought you'd fight to the death. You weren't this weak when we... (Aishi: No, I *was* weak, otherwise I would have ignored you by the river. I'm going to pay for my crimes, but there's one thing I have to do first. I have to kill you.) What? No! Guards! (Aishi: Your men will be dead before they can get within three paces of me, Captain. Don't order them to their deaths. I already owe you one lifetime of pain; do not bring more than that upon yourself.) She's mad! She means to kill me! You, protect me! I'll double the bounty! (The last Spirit Monk: If I help you, you'll only tell the others what I've done. I have to let you go.) Damn you both! You're both going to waste away between worlds. I'll make sure the underworld won't take your rotting corpses!"

- The confrontation between Captain Sen and Aishi with the dialogue that leads to Sen's breakdown and death.