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

[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."