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srwug_alpha_rp2013-02-08 12:13 pm
gurrenbrigbonded) wrote in srwug_alpha_rp2013-02-08 12:13 pm
Entry tags:
02: The Abtaka of the Brotherhood of Manly Souls Opens His Heart to Legend Once Again
[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.
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.
1)
[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)
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."
no subject
[He rolls his eyes.]
... And for me its not just about the money. Its about the freedom.
[Now what could that possibly mean?]
no subject
Of all the things he thought Ryou would say...
"How so? A military life is a life of duty, whether for Clan or paycheck. There is not much room for freedom where duty lies, quiaff?"
no subject
I chose to be a Raven rather than a corpse.
[He gives Matthew a dead serious look. A change from the relaxed boredom or air of casual friendliness he has.]
The Freedom to become more than the label you have slapped on you by some bastards who want to watch you slave away and die for a profit. The freedom to choose one's survival on their own terms. I nearly died to get that. And damn if its the one thing I'll fight to keep.
no subject
He opens his mouth, probably to trash talk again–
"I would have made the same choice." He says.
no subject
Then maybe you aren't as stupid as you sound most of the time.
no subject
"Then perhaps you do not listen closely enough to what I say."
That retort aside, there's a moment of silence.
"How did you become a Raven? From the moment my genes were sequenced I was shaped and molded into a mechwarrior. But how did you seize upon your own opportunity?"
no subject
[He shrugs before finding a bulkhead to lean on.]
I was born before we moved into Layered. A while before the Second Impact. I had about... three years with my parents before they got killed in a Corporation crossfire. After that I worked at their factories. Child labor...
[He snorts softly.]
I heard they actually have laws against it on the surface. Could you imagine that? Getting off topic for a second. Right. Back to the Story. I was about fourteen years old when a Raven tore straight through my Hab Block. There were a couple of MTs there too trying to kill him... heh. Tough luck. I think one got cut in half... right down the middle. The guy punched through a building. It was an assassination - nothing subtle obviously. The corps are fond of huge gestures.
[He seems to be... distant?]
I dunno.. after I saw that.... something in me just woke up. I ran to the nearest damn recruiting center for the Ark I could get to and tried to sign on. Too young they said... that and there was one asshole there who also wanted to sign up.
I don't remember what he said... but I pretty much used him to prove my point that I wanted to join.
[He makes a motion, as if he stabbed someone.]
Up the stomach, the tip was poking at his heart, he stumbled backwards after punching me in the face to try get it out... I knocked him to the ground and finished the job by punching his face in.
... I got the job on the condition I clean up the mess I made and I try to avoid beating other Ravens to death unless its on a job with opposing contracts.
[He had a wry grin now.]
I was supposed to be a professional after all.
[Which earned a derisive snicker considering the nuts in the Ark.]
no subject
He senses there must be reciprocity somehow. A bid of backstory to match Ryou's own.
"I had no...parents. There are no parents for the Trueborn of the Clans but the Iron Wombs, artificial incubators that combine the mixed genes of long-dead, famed warriors. I was raised in a sibling company, a hundred or so children also my age, jostling and competing with each other, dreaming of the days in which we would become warriors and save the galaxy. The stories we would tell..."
There is a smile on his face for a time, that is then banished into neutrality. He raises gloved hand to his faceplate, as if trying to touch his neck.
"Out of the hundred, I believe there were twenty or so of us left when we were taken from survival training and placed into actual military training. The familial competition was molded by our training instructors into outright rivalry: our success depended on upstaging each other, and thus the finest warrior among us could be picked out."
He thinks of mentioning the sibkin he had beaten and crippled in a Circle of Equals during that time. He decides against it.
"Seventeen more of us tested out or died in training. The rest of won our Trials of Position and became Mechwarriors. And Mechwarrior Dex died in a rearguard action against a mercenary company like yours before I came to Terra."
Matthew stares at Ryou intently. How will the Merc respond?
no subject
So you guys are like weapons made in an assembly line?
[...Ouch. That could be construed as insulting.]
We don't have trials back at the Ark. We've got entrance exams.
[He said the last two words in a dry tone.]
Which is 'Contractual' speech for dropping a potential Raven into a hotzone filled with enemy MTs in a poorly armed and low quality Armored Core and see if he lives or dies.
Usually we're tested in groups of two.
The other guy didn't make it and I almost died. Lost my AC's arm, a rifle and took some damage to the leg. And part of the Cockpit blew out.
[He brushes aside some hair to show a scar across his forehead like something cut him there some time ago.]
Got a few more all over the place too.
Not the prettiest thing the Examiner saw. But I got in.
no subject
"That is the core essence of it, combined with a high quality control! Through rigorous training, combined with a system of Bloodnames that allows only great warriors to sire new generations, the capabilities of us trueborn warriors continually improve!" Matthew says with pride, not at all put off by the remarks.
"Our final exam was less lethal than yours." He also remarks dryly. "Our mechs were of higher quality, and we fought each other instead of against an enemy hot zone. Your Mercenary company does seem to have impresive standards."
no subject
[That... was an interesting question.]
Lethality brings out the will to live more. The more dangerous a situation, the harder a person fights. I dunno what you've got in resources, but the Ark doesn't waste good material on rookies who might die in a day. We're given trash and scraps and we have to earn and buy our right to better things.
The Raven's Ark only wants the best. When the Corporations wage their wars on each other, we're the ones that make things move. Otherwise its all just a deadlock. And even the best die to make way for the better.
no subject
Matthew shrugs.
"And the Great Founder would agree with at least one principle your Merc company holds. All our Trials of Position are performed with live weaponry. Better that a young warrior be pushed to the limit and unlock his full potential than to not be at the peak of his form. It is all part of the doctrine of the endless test."