Intergalactic Summit

28:VI:CXIV A.Y.

Once Were Warriors

I stand on the land of my ancestors. The wind blows across the endless steppe, the waist-high grass covers the burial mounds many thousand years old. The bright star shines in the golden sky. When I was born, my father gave me the name of that star, the evening star of Athra. He served His Majesty and died honorably, protecting us from the barbarians, the cultists and the insane.

The menhirs of the ancient warriors sleep in the soft golden light of the sunset. Once my people rode across the plains, fierce and bloodthirsty. The names of our Khans, the Lords of War, made the world tremble with fear. We pillaged and razed the cities of civilized nations, toppling the spires of gold. We massacred peasant and prince alike, leaving no survivor taller than a wagon wheel.

And yet we were subdued with a word. From a book written by outlanders.

Why?

Some might say that the alliance between Amarr and Khanid was a product of realpolitik, made of pure pragmatism, that allowed the newborn Empire - now with the best warriors on the planet at its disposal - to gain foothold on the mainland and, eventually, to crush the Udorian states.

But the wise understand that the ever-bubbling cauldron of deceit that is political struggle is also a tool of God. In this cauldron, the wicked defeat themselves, while the pure meet challenges to harden their faith and find a place in Heaven.

In the end of times, would it even matter who conquered what?

But the Faith will matter.

Because the hope and the sense of order and greater meaning to all things, to death, to life, to the entire cosmos, the understanding of higher truth, are as important to man as food and water. Without hope, there is nothing to fight for. Without the immortal soul, there are only brief pleasures of flesh and, very soon, inescapable death. Without the Maker, there is only Chaos.

Without Faith, there is no Man, there is only Beast.

Subdued? No.

We just were animals no more.

Well said, it is always a good day when I find others of faith from the Kingdom.


Faith and the Almighty be with you

Amen, dear.

Amen.

Come say that to my face and I shall sternly lecture you about how wrong you are.

When is a good time?

The Ethnic Khanid were among the first to see the proper order of things and have always had an exalted place among the True Amarr.



You know some of the broad strokes but not the substance.

Any man who can fend off an Empire 4 times its size for hundreds of years force back multiple Imperial invasions, quash all internal rebellions and plots, demand loyalty and forge a new Kingdom on sheer force of will alone deserves all He has taken.

A 'common thief' would be caught and punished. Khanid II met and defeated a far larger Navy on multiple occasions. The Kingdom still has the most numerous and well-trained ground forces of any Empire, if one of the smaller navies.




That might be an amusing confrontation between those two. I saw Starfire in space once. To her credit she was quite aggressive and did not flee superior firepower. She lost her ship of course but I do admire her tenacity.

Yes my highlighted quote seems to cover that. Going against a larger ship takes a certain brand of personality we don't see enough of.

What the hell is it to you, anyway? And IRED seems to be lowering their admissions requirements if I'm reading your Alliance designation correctly. Unfortunate, and more evidence of this rediculous cal-matar nonsense.

If memory serves... you also werent alone.

Though you were by the time my ship was destroyed.

The original piece was beautifully worded. I apologize for derailing the thread.

The Ishuk-Raata Enforcement Directive has in fact applied more stringent recruitment policies for all new corporations and members. While I'm sure your personal reservations against Pilot Surionen merely taint your words with unnecessary bias and ignorance, I felt it would be better to inform you of your mistaken assertion.

If however you feel you are indeed correct, you are welcome to challenge the efficacy of our recruitment standards in a trial by combat. Come on down to Syndicate and dance with us. I'm sure Lieutenant Commander Valdezi would be quite eager to meet you in space.

It saddens me to hear this from an organization I thought a friend.

Duly noted, and thank you for the clarity of your statement Ms. Oniseki.