02: The Abtaka of the Brotherhood of Manly Souls Opens His Heart to Legend Once Again

[gurrenbrigbonded]

[1]

The events of the past few days– the battle against the final onslaught of the Invaders, the climactic struggle of the Getter Team at Saturn, and the place they departed to– have frankly been epic.

They have also made quite the impression on a certain ex-Jade Falcon, who had not dared to think that such heroism could be possible.

As the White Chalice journeys back to Earth, he can be seen at various places–in his (Tin-foiled) Nova's cockpit on the outer hull, in a vacuum suit by one of the large airlocks, at the observation deck– just staring up at the endless sea of stars as a child would.

http://blogs.voanews.com/science-world/files/2013/01/Under_the_Milky_Way.jpg

Talk to him? Snap him out of it? Play a prank on him?

[2]

Matthew is wandering about the Chalice, looking for the pilots who fought at Saturn, tablet and light pen in hand.

And the most determined of expressions on his face.

[3]

Matthew is sitting by a table in one of the portside lounges, ignoring the cold lunch next to him, and doing something unusual for a frugal warrior from an ascetic caste society.

He is writing on paper. Copious amounts of paper. Some sheets are discarded at his feet, some are set to the side, and all are covered with splotches of ink.

A close examination will reveal them to be...verse poetry?

[4]

Matthew has posted a request on the Chalice Net for all Clan warriors onboard to assemble in Hanger 3 to "Fulfill the debt of honor we owe to the memory of great warriors."

For those of you who show up, Clan or otherwise, there is a gaggle of Clan Wolf/Ex-Jade Falcon warriors and tech caste members about, wondering why the heck they were gathered here. There is no sign of Matthew about.

Comments

4 | OTA

[hominilupusinexilio]

Few are more confused by this than the XO of the Bronze Keshik (de facto if not de jure). He has no answers for any of the other Wolves as to what this could be about. Enlighten him?

Re: 4 | OTA

[wardeninexile]

Ranna is waiting as well, though she does not appear to be confused.

Re: 4 | OTA

[hominilupusinexilio]

"Is your Kerensky Vision giving you insight into what this could be?"

He quirks an eyebrow at her, teasing her a bit over her perpetual look of confidence.

[wardeninexile]

"I suspect it has something to do with adding verses to the Rememberance."

Re: 4 | OTA

[gurrenbrigbonded]

So why did Matthew call his fellows of the Clans here? And where could he be? Is he hiding? There are few places to hide in this hanger: a few crates, an airlock, one or two bolted down tables, the cockpit of the Nova behind you all–

Said cockpit suddenly hisses open, and Matthew climbs out, one foot propped up on the edge of the Nova's nose in a fashion that would make George Washington proud. A cockpit headset rests loosely around his neck, a headset that amplifies his voice quite nicely. It seems he boosted his Nova's loudspeakers.

"Warriors, technicians, scientists, laborer of Clan Wolf–of all the Clans! Only a few days ago, we took part in the most important battle of our lives! A battle not for status and glory, nor to restore the Star League: a battle to protect Terra itself! To defend it with every ounce of strength in our bodies, and all the courage in our hearts. To defend it against the foulest menace we have ever encountered, against true, pure monsters!"

Matthew raises up a clenched fist.

"We triumphed, and reduced these monsters to space dust! But who lead the charge against this filth beyond the light of stars, facing down the falling moon of Janus and not backing down?"

He begins speaking in a poetic tone of voice. It looks like Ranna was spot on

"Forward the forces of the Earth Sphere
came: lasers blasting, missiles burning,
against the Invaders: slime-spawned,
all-devouring.

Terra behind, the brave champions charged
through space and star dust, defying despair.
And first to fight, flying far ahead,
Great and Terrible, the Getter Team."

He pauses. "Was this not so?"

Re: 4 | OTA

[hominilupusinexilio]

As if acting in a play long ago preordained, Resnick walked forward and stepped into the empty spot beneath the Nova's nose.

"None deny the bravery or skill of the Getter Team, least of all myself, who taught Madeline Caine mechwarriorship, nor our elementals who schooled her and Laura Ericks in close quarters battle. However it is the Clan way to abhor waste, Mechwarrior Matthew. This includes wastes of our time. What are we to do with these verses you propose to us, as if you had attained the post of Loremaster? Clans Wolf and Jade Falcon already have one."

Take a bit of the glory for oneself then place him on the defensive spot. Good tactics to use against his new rival.

Re: 4 | OTA

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew firms his race against his rival, then defiantly grins at him.

"Indeed! Clan Wolf and Jade Falcon have their own Loremasters! It is the place of these revered leaders to keep us on the path the Great Father and Founder set forth for us! To keep preserved the wisdom and insight of our ancestors! To pay memorial to great heroes: those of our own Clan and those of others lands and places!

Matthew raises forth a drama hand.

"You speak as if I trespass on the role of the Loremasters of Clan Wolf and Falcon, Star Captain Resnick! This is not so! For me to trespass on the work of the Loremasters would be to suggest verses for the Remembrance in competition with their own! This is not so, for where are the verses of these Loremasters revering the Getter Team?"

He meets the eyes of Resnick and a few others in the room.

"When Tyra Miraborg "chose to die/and sent her fighter like a spear/through the Dire Wolf", claiming the life of IlKhan Showers and halting our invasion, her bravery was praised by all Loremasters of the invading Clans! Why then has there been no effort already to memorialize in verse the heroes of the Getter, who saved sacred Terra itself?"

He stretches out his hands in a beckoning gesture.

"Star Captain Resnick speaks of waste, of time frivolously spent. Then I shall be brief. There has been much time wasted already! I see us of the Clans hesitating in this matter like old merchants sorting through produce! When the war council of my former Clan Jade Falcon hesitated to advance on Robyn's Crossing on Tukayyid, it was Star Colonel Aidan Pryde who bid first for the right to take both bridges, shaming his comrades into action with he and his unit's dezgra status!"

He folds his arms behind his back.

"I am Mechwarrior Matthew of Clan Gurren Brigade, the tiniest and newest of the Clans. I have no bloodname, no high rank, and am hardly qualified to act as a Loremaster, as Star Captain Resnick accurately states!"

He juts his chin forward.

"I bid my Clan for the right to commit the exploits of the Getter Team to the Remembrance!"

He casts his glance around. "Now step up, warriors, Loremasters, workers of prose! If my verses are unpleasing, and my status offensive, then do better! Record the deeds of the Getter team in the Remembrance, or stand aside and let Clan Gurren Brigade do what should have been done already!"

Boom, y'all.

1

[fallen_overlord]

Quite the sight aren't they? First time seeing them like this?

(As Matthew turns to look he sees Letriel floating in front of him with her usual smirk. And yes, she is standing in the vacuum of space without any suit.)

Re: 1

[gurrenbrigbonded]

On any other day Matthew would be astounded. Seeing a moon explode from a single beam from a flying metal dragon tends to rework your conception of what is possible.

"Neg, I have seen them before." Matthew says with a shrug. "There are time that I have even stared at them in detail. But looking at them now, they seem to shine anew with new light."

He stares back up at the Milky Way for a moment.

"The universe has always been vast. But I never guessed how much possibility existed within it."

[fallen_overlord]

(Letriel shrugs a little bit. She had seen many improbable things in her long life, so she found the battle more entertaining than surprising.)

You'd be surprised what is possible in existence. You'll come to learn how true that is in time. After all, there was a time your blockheaded race live as troglodytes which looked up at the vastness of space and thought travel to the stars was impossible.

(Letriel after taking a long look at the sight, she closes her eyes. She seems to be focusing to hear something.)

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew blinks.

Is she trying to listen to something in the vacuum of space? Preposturous.

Then he remembers how the 'impossible' is a rather fluid concept.

He closes his eyes and tries to listen as well.

2

[emorangerpink]

[Laura's in the hangar, poring over a handful of manuals and tablets spread out on a workbench in front of her. Specs, controls, and piloting guides... looks like she's boning up on how to operate one of the mechs.

She's pretty focused on it, ignoring passersby.]

Re: 2

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew hesitantly walks up to Laura.

"Technician Laura Ericks?" He asks. "I wish to speak with you. Is this an inopportune time?"

[emorangerpink]

Eh?

I've... got a lot of preparation to do, but I should probably take a break soon anyway... what did you want to talk about?

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"About your mission to Saturn, with Mechwarriors Mad Caine, Kei Kuruma, and the rest of the Getter Team. And what occurred there."

He pauses.

"It is prying and intrusive of me to ask. The only reason I do so is because I believe–"

He purses his lips, summoning up the right set of words.

"–That times like these, tragic and triumphant in equal measure, full of success and loss, should be remembered."

3

[deniedaccess]

[Paper. It was fabulously low tech.

Tieria picked up one of the sheets in idle curiosity, quickly skimmed its contents, and coolly regarded the stranger after he was satisfied.]

...what are you doing?

Re: 3

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew starts from his reverie, pen drawing a jagged lightning bolt across the parchment.

"Stravag!" He blurts out, his chair nearly teetering over as he bring himself back to the material world.

His blurry eyes come into focus, and he espies Tieria holding some of his draft sheets.

"Do not read that! It is not ready! I must perfect these verses lest I incur dishonor among my fellow warriors!" He wails, flailing his arms about like a spastic Honor-puppet.

[deniedaccess]

The flustered display was a far more dramatic responce than Tieria expected from a simple question. He neatly folded the sheet of paper, completely unfazed by the display, but kept hold of it in the open just in case there was further problem.

"I don't see how a drafted poem would 'incur' any 'dishonor.'"

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew calms down, and rests his hands on the table.

"My apologies for my lack of control. Your questions were well-intentioned, and I shall answer them."

He picks up one of the pieces of paper.

"To answer your first question, I am composing verses about the exploits of some great warriors. And as to why I worry so about dishonor–"

He picks up the pen he dropped. 'This project of mine is quite possibly the most rash thing I have ever done. Thus it must be as sublime as I can make it! Do do anything less would be unthinkable!"

He clenches a fist at that last statement. Then relaxes as he realizes the drama of it. He examines Tieria Erde more closely.

"I have seen you in the hanger. You are a Mechwarrior of Celestial Being, quiaff?"

1)

[lastfeather]

You know, if it was someone a lot more psychotic than me, I bet he'd shove you into the endless void of space. Heck. No one else is around here... No one would ever know... And he'd just watch you float away flailing, wondering if it'll be suffocation or the fear of being stranded out in abyss forever that gets you.

[Ryou's next to you, also suited up against the vacuum. He was now aside you Matthew so you don't have to worry about being booted into the endless sea of stars.]

There's some crazy guys like that in the Ark.

Re: 1)

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"And you wonder why the warriors of the Clans despise Mercenary companies." Matthew replies, his moment of tension concealed by the bulkiness of his suit.

He turns to face Ryou.

"Slaughtering civilians, using dezgra tactics, groveling before the lure of wealth, and serving the whims of tyrants. You will fight, and you will die in combat, and yet you miss the entire point of facing death in the field of battle."

He pauses.

"And if I was pushed out into the vacuum of space, I would simply call for a rescue on an open channel, idiot. We are wearing spacesuits. Spacesuits that have radios. Which we are using right at this very moment."

[lastfeather]

Yeah. Like I said. There are crazies. They'd forget about the radios just for the sheer thrill of murder.

[He rolls his eyes.]

... And for me its not just about the money. Its about the freedom.

[Now what could that possibly mean?]

3

[whats_a_paladin]

Looks like some serious brainstorming is going on here. What are you writing?

Re: 3

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Ah, Paragon Raynor Joz!" Matthew says brightly, looking up from his work.

"I am–"

He hesistates.

"Have you read the copy of the Remembrance I lent you?" He asks softly.

(Excerpts here): http://ppc.warhawkenterprises.com/theclans/remembrance.html

[whats_a_paladin]

Not the whole thing. I don't have as much time for reading as I'd like lately; a knight's work is never over.

Are you trying to write your own Remembrance?