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

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Mechwarrior Matthew, one of Jade Falcon, now of the Gurren Brigade." Matthew replies, then explains some more:

"It is not the place of a warrior of my rank to compose verses to be added into the Remembrance–the long poem that tells the history of the Clans." Matthew explains. "It the task of the Loremasters of the clans to record our heroes, our battles, our triumphs and defeats. I would not dare to overstep such bonds, save that..."

His voice trails off.

[deniedaccess]

Tieria nodded in acknowledgement of the introduction; there was nothing else for him to say as he listened to the explanation. After a while, he cut in:

"Save that this is not an ordinary setting for a 'mechwarrior' as yourself. If no one else is around to do it then it's not like you're overstepping your bounds. Filling in a gap is only natural."

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Somewhat." Matthew allows.

"And that I believe the exploits of the Getter Team and their defense of Terra must be remembered...even if I must faciliate this myself."

[What he has written so far: http://gurrenbrigbonded.dreamwidth.org/2056.html ]

[deniedaccess]

Tieria attentively read over the verses, picking through the narration to the actual recounting of the event. The similarities the verses had to the ancient epic style of poetry that belonged to the ancient Greeks was lost on him, but he understood what the point was.

The only problems he noted were technical, but he wasn't sure if the details of rhyme or meter even mattered to Matthew. He had a feeling that it didn't.

"How is this shameful?"

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"In so many words..."

Matthew shrugs. "...it is not my place to do this. I am a Mechwarrior of low rank, with no Bloodname, and now, not even a place in one of the Great Clans. If I was suited to compose these verses, I would have earned greater status already, or not have been defeated and made a bondsman."

He holds out his hands as if grasping something invisible.

"And yet something drives me onward to do this."

[deniedaccess]

The intricacies of what Matthew explained were lost on him. Ranks and clans didn't mean much to him under any circumstances, but he understood the gist. Matthew...didn't feel worthy of doing this work, regardless of his drive to do it.

Tieria understood that feeling.

"Then do it. There's no one here to stop you."

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew listens to Tieria.

Then nods.

"Aff. You are right. Even if my fellow Clan warriors critique me for this...this is something worth doing. A cause worth fighting for."

He pauses.

"I have fought with you comrade Setsuna twice now, and found him to be a valiant warrior. If I may ask...what cause does Celestial Being fight for?"

[deniedaccess]

Tieria likewise listened to Matthew's affirmation with a nod-- there wasn't much else for him to say in that regard because he never worried too much about what others thought of him. However, there was more than just his reputation at stake on the Chalice. He had his comrades to consider, and Celestial Being as a whole.

"We fight to end war."

He stated it simply, well aware of the hypocrisy in the explanation.

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew blinks in confusion. Thought not at the tautology of the explanation.

"That seems an impossible goal, at least in the long term. War is a part of human nature, quiaff?"

[deniedaccess]

"Is it?"

It was asked bluntly.

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Everything I know and have experienced says so." Matthew replies.

"Humanity yearns and strives for greater heights: to acquire status and power, to grow and expand. And when the desires of two groups of people conflict, they turn to war. Because war is a strategy that works, that ensures the dominance of you and your genes over others."

Matthew crosses his arms behind his back. "The Great Founder realized this, and formed the Clans and our warrior code to clarify the wars we fight, to prevent collateral damage, to keep civillians from suffering from the consequences of war. To ensure that only that which is necessary to be destroyed is destroyed."

[deniedaccess]

"I see."

He understood that mentality, but he had his orders.

"Then tell me, does it have to be like that?"

It was just unfortunate for Matthew that he was speaking with one of the less friendly Meisters.

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Fortunately for Tieria, Matthew is one of the few Clanners who likes talks such as this.

"I have not seen or heard of any instance where humanity has chosen a different path." He replies with

"And if humanity could build a world without war or warlike sentiment...then within a few weeks, another warlike faction, or a menace like the Invaders, would move in and exterminate us."

[deniedaccess]

Tieria wouldn't know the difference between Clanners at this point, as Matthew is the first one that he's spoken to. Aside from the strange linguistic quirks, he hasn't seen anything too unusual that would differentiate them.

Unfortunately, Tieria didn't mind playing Devil's Advocate either.

"Perhaps so, but a united front without in-fighting is much more effective than a scattered front, correct?"

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Aff!" Matthew agrees. "And once, in the time and place that we of the Clans came from, it was so."

He raises up a hand as if ordering a volley of cannon fire or gesturing to an audience.

"A thousand worlds of humanity, scattered across the sky. Great empires and the border territories, all united under a single banner: the banner of the Star League!"

He clenches his open hand into a fist. "Warded by the Star League Defense Force and guided by the Cameron Dynasty, over four hundred years of peace and prosperity unfolded...before the betrayal of the Usurper shattered the League and unlocked hundreds of years of war!"

He turns to face Tieria, an intense expression on his face.

"But the dream of the Star League and a United Mankind did not die! And it is we of the Clans, the descendants of the Star League Defense Force, who fight to reclaim Terra and restore it!"

[deniedaccess]

The fervent explanation was far more detailed than Tieria had anticipated...but it fit the pattern of the epic that he had spied earlier among the scattered papers on the floor.

Tieria returned the intensity with a pedantic look of his own.

"That's an understandable goal."

Then, after a moment:

"Was that another poem?"

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"not quite." Matthew replies.

"But the history of the Clans and those of us who have done great deeds is recorded in a epic poem of ours, called 'the Remembrance'."

He scratches the back of his head.

"And my scribblings are an attempt to add a new set of verses to the Gurren Brigade version."

[deniedaccess]

Tieria glanced at the scattered papers once more as he fully understood the reason for Matthew's fervor. It wasn't simply a chronicle of the battles that were fought, but something that he wanted to add to the larger story that has been recorded.

Unfortunately, Tieria still found himself hung up on the complexities of rhyme and meter, as if it were a mathematical formula that needed to be solved.

"That certainly is a unique way to keep a record."

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"There is no better way to keep records among a Clan of trueborn warriors. And no better method by which tales and histories vital to the souls of our culture can be memorized and recited to others."

Matthew bows his head and solemnly quotes:

"Hark children of the Clans,
To the wisdom of Kerensky and your forebears,
Know what has come before;
Remember it as you strive toward the future."

[deniedaccess]

He nodded once more. From a practical standpoint, it was always better to know the accomplishments and mistakes of those who came before. Any student knew that concept.

"So. It's an oral tradition."