ChamaH Soch - Glory

[general_chang]

This month is the Klingon month Soo'jen or 'Glory'. It is perhaps fitting that I should meet my other self in such a month. He did glory to his people and those who he encountered upon those ship.

Each attempt to strip his Klingon honour away from him was repelled and he found honour in resistance. Honour here, I find, is thin on the ground. There are few enemies to fight, beyond those childish to believe that a tantrum against our Exalted Admiral will gain them points or fear is a valued weapon where amnesia is common and ennui more so.

Death has no meaning. And I mean not in the human sense of the meaning of death, yes, I see the oblivion as much as a human or Vulcan or Time Lord would, but it is a mere shutdown, not unlike what an AI might experience should you deactivate it, but that is not meaning.

It is so limited. It pays no respect to the life led before it, reducing it to mere automatic functions to be reset if it 'malfunctions'.

I have never felt the desire to simply vanish before I arrived in this place.

In that other ship, there were enemies. True injustices to be fought, honour existed in the hearts of those inmates, it made them strong, powerful. Vital. Each of their deaths had meaning. Each smile, each act of generosity, had meaning.

I share my former warden's enthusiasm [Enthusiasm, blood lust, same difference, right?] to return, if only to restore meaning to my own existence, regardless of the death stolen from me.

It has given me a purpose.

[Filtered away from Sexby]

I do not expect understanding on this matter. I can only say that a soldier forms an attachment to his weapon, it is part of his identity, to hold a weapon, to defend with it, to make it an extension of self. Sentimental perhaps, but nonetheless a strong feeling.

We all know of Sexby, of his crimes, but of the man beyond them. Perhaps this version is a unpolished man, one given to baser instincts but we know him, even if this youth has not known us.

I have thus deemed him suitable to bear a blade. I am no warden, but I am a general. A warrior does not wield a weapon carelessly, particularly in a place unknown to him. Do not remove it. I warn you only as a courtesy.

Comments

Private

[una_persson]

You gave him a blade.

Private

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

[He brings up an image of the blade (http://www.example.com/).]

Private

[una_persson]

This could cause trouble later, you realise.

Private

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

You believe he'd be unable to kill without it?

[Filter]

[timesbureaucrat]

You did what?! [Narvin is a big hypocrite has been stabbed by Sexby before. So he's not thrilled by the news.]

[Filter]

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

I warned you. [Inmate, remember?]

[Filter]

[timesbureaucrat]

Sexby may be a warrior, but he's also extremely short tempered. A few wrong words and he will stab somebody.

[Filter]

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

And you think he wouldn't find a way without a blade?

Private

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

Someone might almost think you disapproved.

Private

[timesbureaucrat]

He stabbed me in the chest once. If I were human, I would have died. So the idea of him having a knife isn't exactly comforting.

Private

[lifeafterhope.livejournal.com]

And here I thought you were so confident in your newfound ability to defend yourself.

[acid_rayne]

As someone with memories of partaking in taking a number of those lives away, I can assure you... A lot of deaths had no meaning there.

Aside from brief amusement.

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

The meaning did not come from you, it came from within us. Fighting you. Your feelings did not count, unless it was your frustration.

you are his first soldier bro, chang. have a measure of nihilism

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

What is glory if there is blood on your hands? An existence in blood is not one of glory. But neither is an existence in cowardice.

Injustice and brutality will never be destroyed, and honour never truly realised. There is death or dying. Your only corner of glory is ensuring that you do not do the latter.

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

There is glory in defiance, in serving your people, in adhering to your own code. Death in surrender is more important to avoid than death reaffirm who you decided to become, whether that was a life in blood, in the soil of the land or serving your people.

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

But what is serving your people when those you fight against do the same?

There is glory alone in fighting with fire in your blood, and fighting as if you were three seconds from Paradise, no matter who for.

The rest is not glory, it is naught but politics.

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

I do not see the contradiction. They serve and you serve. As you say, beyond that is nothing but politics.

[Filter]

[truth_is_cold]

He's been warned there are non-humans here of exceptional strength and people that possess unconventional weaponry.

If he loses his temper, he will eventually learn to reconsider it.

[Private]

I actually understand what you mean. While I can't understand why my other self didn't tear through the those others causing him and others misery, he was actually optimistic in a way that didn't inhibit survival. I had never seen that happen, as the optimist frequently ended up blind and deluded to the troubles of the world.

[Private]

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

I find that the optimists and pessimists tend neither to be better nor worse than the other, but a balance. They often make better teams than separate.

[Private]

[truth_is_cold]

Braxiatel has referred to me as an optimist more than once.

It's difficult for me to understand.

Private-

[lostundercover]

Are you fucking retarded? A soldier loves his weapon, sure, but that doesn't mean he should have one.

Private

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

No, I am a strategist. A man who is comfortable is less likely to be aggressive than a man who knows he can defend himself.

Private

[lostundercover]

I get your point, but we still don't know if he's the type to attack people and he's going to be facing a lot of threats. Besides, you know he's not going to give that up without force and whoever forces him has to deal with the backlash.

Filter

[darknessb4me]

[Bitter laugh.] Well, you're right about one thing at least. Probably several other things also.

Filter

[general-chang.livejournal.com]

Indeed.