February 9th, OE 102
2:00 PM DST
Artemis Palace Gardens Temporary Shelter
For those with access to it, the gardens of the great Lunar palace were the most tranquil, beautiful, and serene place in the Kingdom. Somewhere one could go to reflect, depressurize, and meet those of similar pedigree under the shade of exotic foliage that was the result of generations of work splicing genes, melding artistry and biology into a canopy that soothed the soul of even the most neurotic of nobles.
In the wake of the assault from Volkruss however, they had been rapidly repurposed as a shelter for those displaced by the attack. Tents and makeshift beds formed rudimentary homes, crates of emergency food supplies, and an ever-present crowd of both locals and Terrans alike now milled about, crushing the grass underfoot with thoughtless disregard for the signs insisting they do otherwise.
It was here that a meeting had been called, and a series of chairs had been hurriedly grabbed from the rubble of the palace. A pair of Diam Lees worked dutifully in the distance, picking carefully through the debris for anything that could be salvaged for re-processing in the remaining fabricators, the light gleaming off their hides. Overhead, the hole that had been made in the roof by the Bemidban's entrance had been plugged, a group of Riots still tending to its edges, proton spikes serving handily as welding tools to ensure construction moved at a brisk pace.
There being little in the way of assigned seating, Gerart Enfield, now wheelchair-bound, had wheeled himself in early, looking no worse off for wear than he usually did. Opposite him in a second row of chairs across from a makeshift stage, Brigadier General Rodgers sat surrounded by the bridge crew of the Air Christmas, the terrans gawking in collective awe at the display of lushness about them. The past day had been full of surprises, the things the Lunarians took for everyday conveniences seeming almost like magic to the Directory rank-and-file.
At length, a figure made her way through the growing crowd, and stepped up onto the wooden stage. A young woman with dark hair, pale, yet soft features, and a poise that seemed to be standing a little straighter than those near her, stood at the podium. Her eyes moved over the questioning-looking crowd, and gave a small smile.
"Thank you everyone for coming." She said, only to catch herself, a hand coming to her mouth.
"Oh... I realize my attire may come as something of a shock to you all. My name is Selene III... She of the Flawless Mirror, Queen of the Lunar Kingdom of Everglory."
Muttering and some gasps of alarm traveled through the crowd. Not once had the Queen ever appeared in public without her usual guise, fierce and regal... Yet, she stood before them now as a seemingly normal, ordinary girl. Waiting for the noise to die down, Selene gave a little sigh... and began to speak.
"In the wake of all that has transpired... I wished to say a few words. So many of you have come forward with questions, worries, and concerns... I will do my best to address them.
Three months ago, we received a prophecy: That great and terrible danger would befall our people. Never did we dream that it would have come from inside our own borders, the product of our own arrogance.
For so many years, we have stood alone. We believed the myth of our own superiority... that we were chosen. Greater. Different.
But... all this did was isolate us. Poison us. When our time of need came, when the ZONE incident occurred, there was nowhere we could turn to for help. When the DAMON ravaged our homes, and brother turned on brother in opportunistic spite, it became clear that we were not as unified as we believed. When Thane Ashford and his conspirators attempted to assassinate me, at the moment in which all our lives hung in the balance, there was no longer any doubt that..."
Here she paused, bringing a hand tenderly to her chest for a moment.
"We... were no different than the Terrans we scorned."
Silence. It was impossible to tell, she thought, whether it was good or bad. Doubtlessly some were holding their tongues, and others glaring at the very suggestion that they were anything like those below. The Moon Cradle's residents might have been gone, but their attitudes and beliefs... would be far more difficult to dislodge.
"And yet... In the end, it was those very same men and women who risked their lives to aid us, when were had been on the brink of war only hours earlier. To Taskforce Upsilon, to Brigadier General Rodgers... I thank you. All of Luna is in your debt."
Rodgers nodded appreciatively as applause rose from the crowd. Never would he have believed in a hundred years that this was how things were going to end up... but, in some ways, he was grateful for it. Better an exchange of words and ideas, he thought, than bullets and black holes.
"What so many have asked, that I see written on all of your faces, is... What now? Where do we go from here? Before I answer that, there are some hard truths that need to be said. If they are not... If we continue to look away... nothing will change.
For too long, the Kingdom has held too many secrets. Not only from outsiders, but from its own kind. We did not trust our own people with the knowledge, the understanding that they deserved to know. Brave knights fought and died, without ever truly understanding what they were fighting for, and why.
And for that... I am deeply, profoundly sorry."
She bowed her head. More muffled outcries from the crowd, but they were... softer, now, perhaps realizing that the infallible Queen was apologizing to them as well.
"I... was complicit in these acts."
Her throat ached. The corners of her eyes burned. It took every ounce of self control she had to hold together, to press on, even as her voice tremored with the strain of suppressed emotion.
"I will not hide behind my title, or my blood, nor blame our ancestral kings for the traditions passed onto me. I, and I alone, sincerely believed in my heart of hearts... that what I was doing was the only way any of us could survive. I was willing to sacrifice everything, even my own life, if it would mean our Kingdom would continue. That... was all I had ever known, ever since I was born. My purpose. My only reason to live.
I even turned on the man I loved, and on my own brother, when they tried to save me from the self-destructive path I had chosen."
A collective murmur went up from the Lunarians in the assembled crowd, yet Selene's eyes did not meet those of James, nor Gerart in the audience. The Queen had a brother? She waited patiently, eyes closed, for the sensationalism to die down before continuing.
"I realize now... that I was being selfish." She said, "That I was content to suffer in silence, believing it to be noble, and to throw my life away, absolving me of a responsibility, a crown I never wanted.
But... If you will allow me to remain as your Queen, to lead you... I promise that I will guide us down a new path. A better one, not simply for Luna, but for all."
She took a deep breath, letting it fill her lungs... and empty it. Offering her head to them would do nothing to bring back what had been lost. It would be nothing more than another hollow, self-serving act of cowardice. So long as she lived, she could at least offer them this. Her arms spread out before her towards them, and she felt the uncertainty fade from her voice, replaced with the commanding, certain tones of a monoarch.
"Never again will the veil of conspiracy, of secrecy, be cast over the eyes of the people.
Never again will we look down at others in contempt, scorning them for the circumstances of their birth.
And never again will we allow our home, our great Kingdom, to be razed to the ground as a consequence of our own hubris!"
Her eyes moved to each person in the audience, Terran and Lunarian alike, letting her conviction, her vision ring in every word.
"We will extend our hands to those in need, and share what we have long jealously guarded.
We will welcome people of all creeds and kinds into our midst, to learn from them, to grow, and better understand the outside world.
We will be guided by our compassion and dignity, not avarice and pride!"
She lowered her hands... and at least felt a tear fall from the corner of her eye.
"Everglory... will become what it was always meant to be: A shining beacon of hope for all mankind, not just those who share our blood."
It was even quieter now, and for a moment her heart felt as though it was lodged in her throat. Her eyes moved over the audience once again, absorbing the mixture of faces. Some were shocked, others disgusted, or on the verge of tears themselves. Never before had she, or any other of her line, spoken to them in such a fashion.
"Please." She said, lifting a hand.
"Will you allow me... to walk with you once more?"
Nothing. Selene closed her eyes, as she started to feel the shame burning in her cheeks. Yes, of course it wouldn't be this easy. Not after everything she'd done. There was no way-
All eyes went to the Queen's left. Rodgers rose from his seat, bringing his hands together as he gave the girl an encouraging smile. As if on cue, as if a spell were broken, the rest of the garden exploded with noise - cheers, applause, even whistles. There were no more words. Selene simply stood under the light, feeling for the first time in her life that she was grateful to be who she was, feeling the hot tears running down her face, the scene before her blurring together into a warm, melted haze.
2:00 PM DST
Artemis Palace Gardens Temporary Shelter
For those with access to it, the gardens of the great Lunar palace were the most tranquil, beautiful, and serene place in the Kingdom. Somewhere one could go to reflect, depressurize, and meet those of similar pedigree under the shade of exotic foliage that was the result of generations of work splicing genes, melding artistry and biology into a canopy that soothed the soul of even the most neurotic of nobles.
In the wake of the assault from Volkruss however, they had been rapidly repurposed as a shelter for those displaced by the attack. Tents and makeshift beds formed rudimentary homes, crates of emergency food supplies, and an ever-present crowd of both locals and Terrans alike now milled about, crushing the grass underfoot with thoughtless disregard for the signs insisting they do otherwise.
It was here that a meeting had been called, and a series of chairs had been hurriedly grabbed from the rubble of the palace. A pair of Diam Lees worked dutifully in the distance, picking carefully through the debris for anything that could be salvaged for re-processing in the remaining fabricators, the light gleaming off their hides. Overhead, the hole that had been made in the roof by the Bemidban's entrance had been plugged, a group of Riots still tending to its edges, proton spikes serving handily as welding tools to ensure construction moved at a brisk pace.
There being little in the way of assigned seating, Gerart Enfield, now wheelchair-bound, had wheeled himself in early, looking no worse off for wear than he usually did. Opposite him in a second row of chairs across from a makeshift stage, Brigadier General Rodgers sat surrounded by the bridge crew of the Air Christmas, the terrans gawking in collective awe at the display of lushness about them. The past day had been full of surprises, the things the Lunarians took for everyday conveniences seeming almost like magic to the Directory rank-and-file.
At length, a figure made her way through the growing crowd, and stepped up onto the wooden stage. A young woman with dark hair, pale, yet soft features, and a poise that seemed to be standing a little straighter than those near her, stood at the podium. Her eyes moved over the questioning-looking crowd, and gave a small smile.
"Thank you everyone for coming." She said, only to catch herself, a hand coming to her mouth.
"Oh... I realize my attire may come as something of a shock to you all. My name is Selene III... She of the Flawless Mirror, Queen of the Lunar Kingdom of Everglory."
Muttering and some gasps of alarm traveled through the crowd. Not once had the Queen ever appeared in public without her usual guise, fierce and regal... Yet, she stood before them now as a seemingly normal, ordinary girl. Waiting for the noise to die down, Selene gave a little sigh... and began to speak.
"In the wake of all that has transpired... I wished to say a few words. So many of you have come forward with questions, worries, and concerns... I will do my best to address them.
Three months ago, we received a prophecy: That great and terrible danger would befall our people. Never did we dream that it would have come from inside our own borders, the product of our own arrogance.
For so many years, we have stood alone. We believed the myth of our own superiority... that we were chosen. Greater. Different.
But... all this did was isolate us. Poison us. When our time of need came, when the ZONE incident occurred, there was nowhere we could turn to for help. When the DAMON ravaged our homes, and brother turned on brother in opportunistic spite, it became clear that we were not as unified as we believed. When Thane Ashford and his conspirators attempted to assassinate me, at the moment in which all our lives hung in the balance, there was no longer any doubt that..."
Here she paused, bringing a hand tenderly to her chest for a moment.
"We... were no different than the Terrans we scorned."
Silence. It was impossible to tell, she thought, whether it was good or bad. Doubtlessly some were holding their tongues, and others glaring at the very suggestion that they were anything like those below. The Moon Cradle's residents might have been gone, but their attitudes and beliefs... would be far more difficult to dislodge.
"And yet... In the end, it was those very same men and women who risked their lives to aid us, when were had been on the brink of war only hours earlier. To Taskforce Upsilon, to Brigadier General Rodgers... I thank you. All of Luna is in your debt."
Rodgers nodded appreciatively as applause rose from the crowd. Never would he have believed in a hundred years that this was how things were going to end up... but, in some ways, he was grateful for it. Better an exchange of words and ideas, he thought, than bullets and black holes.
"What so many have asked, that I see written on all of your faces, is... What now? Where do we go from here? Before I answer that, there are some hard truths that need to be said. If they are not... If we continue to look away... nothing will change.
For too long, the Kingdom has held too many secrets. Not only from outsiders, but from its own kind. We did not trust our own people with the knowledge, the understanding that they deserved to know. Brave knights fought and died, without ever truly understanding what they were fighting for, and why.
And for that... I am deeply, profoundly sorry."
She bowed her head. More muffled outcries from the crowd, but they were... softer, now, perhaps realizing that the infallible Queen was apologizing to them as well.
"I... was complicit in these acts."
Her throat ached. The corners of her eyes burned. It took every ounce of self control she had to hold together, to press on, even as her voice tremored with the strain of suppressed emotion.
"I will not hide behind my title, or my blood, nor blame our ancestral kings for the traditions passed onto me. I, and I alone, sincerely believed in my heart of hearts... that what I was doing was the only way any of us could survive. I was willing to sacrifice everything, even my own life, if it would mean our Kingdom would continue. That... was all I had ever known, ever since I was born. My purpose. My only reason to live.
I even turned on the man I loved, and on my own brother, when they tried to save me from the self-destructive path I had chosen."
A collective murmur went up from the Lunarians in the assembled crowd, yet Selene's eyes did not meet those of James, nor Gerart in the audience. The Queen had a brother? She waited patiently, eyes closed, for the sensationalism to die down before continuing.
"I realize now... that I was being selfish." She said, "That I was content to suffer in silence, believing it to be noble, and to throw my life away, absolving me of a responsibility, a crown I never wanted.
But... If you will allow me to remain as your Queen, to lead you... I promise that I will guide us down a new path. A better one, not simply for Luna, but for all."
She took a deep breath, letting it fill her lungs... and empty it. Offering her head to them would do nothing to bring back what had been lost. It would be nothing more than another hollow, self-serving act of cowardice. So long as she lived, she could at least offer them this. Her arms spread out before her towards them, and she felt the uncertainty fade from her voice, replaced with the commanding, certain tones of a monoarch.
"Never again will the veil of conspiracy, of secrecy, be cast over the eyes of the people.
Never again will we look down at others in contempt, scorning them for the circumstances of their birth.
And never again will we allow our home, our great Kingdom, to be razed to the ground as a consequence of our own hubris!"
Her eyes moved to each person in the audience, Terran and Lunarian alike, letting her conviction, her vision ring in every word.
"We will extend our hands to those in need, and share what we have long jealously guarded.
We will welcome people of all creeds and kinds into our midst, to learn from them, to grow, and better understand the outside world.
We will be guided by our compassion and dignity, not avarice and pride!"
She lowered her hands... and at least felt a tear fall from the corner of her eye.
"Everglory... will become what it was always meant to be: A shining beacon of hope for all mankind, not just those who share our blood."
It was even quieter now, and for a moment her heart felt as though it was lodged in her throat. Her eyes moved over the audience once again, absorbing the mixture of faces. Some were shocked, others disgusted, or on the verge of tears themselves. Never before had she, or any other of her line, spoken to them in such a fashion.
"Please." She said, lifting a hand.
"Will you allow me... to walk with you once more?"
Nothing. Selene closed her eyes, as she started to feel the shame burning in her cheeks. Yes, of course it wouldn't be this easy. Not after everything she'd done. There was no way-
Clap.
All eyes went to the Queen's left. Rodgers rose from his seat, bringing his hands together as he gave the girl an encouraging smile. As if on cue, as if a spell were broken, the rest of the garden exploded with noise - cheers, applause, even whistles. There were no more words. Selene simply stood under the light, feeling for the first time in her life that she was grateful to be who she was, feeling the hot tears running down her face, the scene before her blurring together into a warm, melted haze.
SYSTEM UPDATE COMPLETE:
Hacceitic Limiter Reset Required.
- Super Robot Wars: Ignition: Please Insert Disc 2 -
- Super Robot Wars: Ignition: Please Insert Disc 2 -