The turn never happened. Syril didn't start sympathizing with the rebels, he became disillusioned with his Empire. Big difference.

In this case by "the turn" I meant to refer to a turning point where a character alters their destiny, not a change of heart. But in any case, it's clear that Syril is disillusioned with the Empire. So why is that? Because they hurt a bunch of people? He's never shown much feeling about civilian casualties one way or the other.

If he still hates the Rebels then why does that not come across in tone or content when he warns his Rebel contact about the trap? Are we to assume that he has zero feelings for them still?

If I'm making assumptions then it seems that Syril harbors a delusion that his bean-counting and tattle-telling makes him some kind of guardian of order over the people, and therefore the Empire deliberately fomenting disorder offends him. But I'm doing just that - making assumptions. There's not enough substance to back them up. Instead, we get an irrelevant subplot with his mother that's obviously some writer's psychodrama.

The turn never happened. Syril didn't start sympathizing with the rebels, he became disillusioned with his Empire. Big difference.

"The turn" in this case refers to a turning point where a character alters their destiny, not a change of heart. But in any case, it's clear that Syril is disillusioned with the Empire. So why is that? Because they hurt a bunch of people? He's never shown much feeling about civilian casualties one way or the other.

If he still hates the Rebels then why does that not come across in tone or content when he warns his Rebel contact about the trap? Are we to assume that he has zero feelings for them still?

If I'm making assumptions then it seems that Syril harbors a delusion that his bean-counting and tattle-telling makes him some kind of guardian of order over the people, and therefore the Empire deliberately fomenting disorder offends him. But I'm doing just that - making assumptions. There's not enough substance to back them up. Instead, we get an irrelevant subplot with his mother that's obviously some writer's psychodrama.

The turn never happened. Syril didn't start sympathizing with the rebels, he became disillusioned with his Empire. Big difference.

"The turn" in this case refers to a turning point where a character alters their destiny, not a change of heart. But in any case, it's clear that Syril is disillusioned with the Empire. So why is that? Because they hurt a bunch of people? He's never shown much feeling about civilian casualties one way or the other.

If he still hates the Rebels then why does that not come across in tone or content when he warns his Rebel contact about the trap? Are we to assume that he has zero feelings for them still?

If I'm making assumptions then it seems that Syril harbors a delusion that his bean-counting and tattle-telling makes him some kind of guardian of order over the people, and therefore the Empire deliberately fomenting disorder offends him. But I'm doing just that - making assumptions. There's not enough substance to back them up. Instead, we get a subplot with his mother that's obviously some writer's psychodrama.

The turn never happened. Syril didn't start sympathizing with the rebels, he became disillusioned with his Empire. Big difference.

"The turn" in this case refers to a turning point where a character alters their destiny, not a change of heart. But in any case, it's clear that Syril is disillusioned with the Empire. So why is that? Because they hurt a bunch of people? He's never shown much feeling about civilian casualties one way or the other.

If he still hates the Rebels then why does that not come across in tone or content when he warns his Rebel contact about the trap? Are we to assume that he has zero feelings for them still?

If I'm making assumptions then it seems that Syril harbors a delusion that his bean-counting and tattle-telling makes him some kind of guardian of order over the people, and therefore the Empire deliberately fomenting disorder offends him. But I'm doing just that - making assumptions. There's not enough substance to back them up.