Intergalactic Summit

A few days ago a question popped in my head. After I more less figured out my own answer to the question, and really it didn’t take too long, I continued to dwell on the question for a while and the answer evolved away from one of the obvious single line slogan we all seem to normally have for why we fight. When I thought more about it, it made me curious as to what really leads my allies and the people on the other end of my auto cannons into the fights they engage in. Within this I am more so focusing on my two times I have enlisted in the Matari Militia, and ignoring time spent with capsuleer coalitions and those not affiliated with the empires, though that would also be interesting to hear about. Really for me camaraderie and ISK were the only motives for them I'll admit.

Before I press forward I am going to go on record in saying that I’m not a proponent for peace, though I would think for any soldier, crusader or freedom fighter, peace in whatever flavor they subscribe to is their end goal and I include myself in that. I personally do feel slavery is horrible and should be fought at every turn. To simply dwell on it is not my personal opinion though and something I feel only focusing on ending would only treat a symptom, not the disease itself. In addition no response can really be wrong for this. After all can anyone really argue that what you truly believe as not being what you believe? Thus I don’t see how anything that is written here as someones reasons can really be argued over.

My question is simply, “Why are you really fighting?”

For myself it isn’t about slavery, it isn’t about the money or fame (though they do help), nor is it for my clan who, lets be honest I haven’t seen or talked to anyone from it since I was 5. Really it mainly revolves around my people. My ancestors were attacked and enslaved, saw their tribes destroyed by the Amarr, had their culture stripped from them, home worlds leveled by this light of reclaiming that really only highlighted the darkness they were to face for many, many years. In spite of all this they bravely fought back, as many of us fight now. I don’t fight to free my people. I fight to hopefully inspire to do as their ancestors once did. Our ancestors had the will to gain their own freedom and fate gave them a way. To those who would, I hope the spirits guide them home. To those who don’t, well I hope someday they will understand where they came from and not merely what they were taught to believe. I don’t have the Ray of Matar, honestly I never even got my Voluval mark. Even still I know I am one with my people. In the end I could care less if my name is remembered or forgotten, as long as my actions aren’t.

So I raise this question to all of you... Why exactly are you really fighting your enemies? It is easy to say “to spread the word of god,” “to avenge Caldari Prime,” or “to free my people.” Do these slogans actually hold something to you or are you simply fighting as a proxy for what ever your birth place dealt you? If your reasons can be summed up in a single sentence, are you sure you have something to fight for?

Because my home planet, along with the majority of the people I care about in the known universe, is sitting in the shallow end of a warzone and is both susceptible to and has suffered from blatant acts of aggression and terrorism from our opponents due to the State taking custody of the world when Black Rise was explored. When I was tested and found viable for Capsuleer training, it afforded me an opportunity unlike anything I had dreamed of.

I'm literally addicted to killing people in space. That sensation when I see a tiny ship or capsule slow boating to a gate or just sitting there. The sudden rush when my ship locks on to their life source. Then that explosive feeling that goes through my entire body when they explode all over me. Leaving just a cold frozen body for me to admire... By the time the local jump gate sentry guns destroy my ship and crew, I'm already craving another dose of that sweet passionate thrill of the kill. I just can't get enough. I'm some kind of maniac. A death fiend, if you will.

My reasons have changed over the years. As a baseliner, I fought in the Navy because that was what was expected of me, both by the State and my family.

Early in my career as a capsuleer I fought the Guristas merely as a means to an end. I needed ISK, CEP needed pilots. Later on, in Stay Frosty, I fought to protect my corpmates. When I moved to Anoikis, I fought to protect my home.

These days, I fight alongside rookie pilots, to teach them how to do so themselves.

Why do we fight? Because... because this is our duty to fight.
This is a duty we hold to our families, to our corporations, to our friends, to our colleagues and to our own consciousness.

The part of us, that is named 'government' is only the most skilled, the most merited, and the most wise part of us. This isn't the government in sense of gallenteans, where it is just fools, loved and elected by crowd. Our government is our high command, that knows where are we better to be deployed, where to fight and whom to fight. Even if we are sacrificed by these decisions, there are many others who will be saved.

Everyone should do their job, for we are trained and prepared to it. It is we, who should fight, not farmers with shotguns, not children with home made grenades. We hold responsibility for them, because if we won't fight, they will. We protect their lives, their way of lives and their future. Because it is our own future that we are fighting for, and even if we won't see it, others will.

We fight for our own way of life, as we see it fit. We won't allow part of our labor go to gallentean beurocrats to feed their fat arses. We won't allow them to dictate rule of the crowd and replace skilled managers by pretty loved stupid puppets. We fight for our property, for our land and for our planets. Because they belong to us. They are ours. And we will say it not only with words, but with guns. Should you take a Caldari property, Caldari will come to you and take it back. This is what we do.

Do you want to find one day, that you corporation is taken by some gallentean magnate? That you have to go and vote for some crowd choosen fools? That you have to wear gallentean stupid hat, praise senseless democracy and give your property to them, because they voted so? That your children are tought bullshit in schools, and you are denied to take a position, that you have skilled to, because you are caldari and gallentean peoples don't love you and don't vote for you? Do you want to see your planet in stagnation, degradation and decay because of poorly chosen incapable gallentean manegement?

I hope not.

And this won't happen, until we keep them firing.

This is our ultimate answer. This is a thousands of 'NO's, said with volleys of railgun shells, tearing apart ugly gallentean hulls. Our answer is louder than words. Our answer is so strong, that makes deaf gallentean politicians start to listen us, and that makes gallentean presidents abandon their positions. And our fire is so strong, because we do it together. We do it as one, for the purpose is one. And fighting together makes us stronger. We will hold battles in sky, we will take them on ground. We will blob their fleets, and we will kite them and fight when outnumbered. We will kill many, and when the time will come, we will die. Because it is our duty.

But until this day comes, we will be answering them, as we should.
With fire and steel.

Very rarely now.

It is pointless and most of the time only participate to make things worse.

I did my part for years, and now if I have to be respected for my words and not for my capacity to kill, than so be it, I guess...?

I fight for answers and justice.

My wife kidnapped by unknown forces; I have my suspicions to who is responsible but its only that. I vowed to myself and to my wife's family to find who took her and to bring them to justice for their crimes. My travels taken me to all corners of all four of the major empires, to various parts of low-security space, selected areas of lawless space, and to the most forgotten systems.

Leliel, my love, I will find you.

I like shooting lasers at things and the pretty explosions that result.
That's a good enough reason right?

He's the reason I fight. Not him personally, of course, that would be very odd - but the subset of Gallente society that thinks it can blame it's problems on others with impunity and paper up the cracks with rousing tales of liberty triumphing over everyone else.

That and because after awhile you grow to enjoy the killing. It's not pretty, but it's the truth - after a long enough record of combat victories the adrenaline rush when you engage is something that mining and exploration simply doesn't provide a replacement for.

The truth is there are a variety of things that compel me to fight. First and foremost I fight because I can fight, I have this power and that means I have a responsibility to use it. There must have been some reason I was compatible some reason I didn't mindlock when others did.

I fight to belong I suppose, not only to prove my worth to my clan but to belong to a culture that was wrongly denied to me by virtue of birth. I fight so that hopefully others won't be denied their culture. I also fight to atone for the sins I commited against my people and to atone for the sins against the first person I ever loved.

I also fight for my comradire and isk, but it isn't nearly worth my feelings of belonging or else I would still be right there with my previous corporation, who are top notch people and excellent pilots.