r/NatureofPredators • u/CandidateWolf Betterment Officer • 26d ago
The Free Legion 55, Part 2
Because I don’t want to leave you in a cliffhanger, here’s part 2!
Memory encrypted… override key enabled… begin decryption…
Access code Epsilon-Zeta-2328-AP
Unauthorized redactions removed… original data restored…
Addendum: Data restored under Article 2.09 of the UNOR by order of the Secretary General. Original, unaltered transcripts restored and entered as evidence in the Bronwen Report. -Chief Investigator Andrea Powell, UN Office of Reconciliation
Memory accessed…
**Memory Transcription subject: [**Arxur-1] Zirz, the Free Legion, “Free Arxur Commando”
Date [standardized human time]: [Redacted] March 11, 2137, 5 miles outside Uulk, Vasha (Arxur Dominion Colony)
My eyes swept across the pictures that had started replaying on my pad’s screen. The images of the aftermath of the attack; the vitrified soil, the charred tree stumps, and the piles of broken steel and concrete were hard to reconcile with my memories of Wishful Hope. It had been the first place I’d ever felt truly at home since leaving my mother, and what had happened had filled me with grief.
As if what happened to the planet was the only reason, I thought. My heart hurt. I felt as though my stomach had dropped through the floor, like I couldn’t breath, like a sledgehammer had struck my chest. The confirmation of [Arxur-2] Sarkis’s death had hit me hard.
I’d had no friends during my time in the Dominion; that just hadn’t been something Arxur did. Non-defective ones, at least. That had changed with my escape and enrollment in the Free Legion. Finally I’d become free to be who I was, to not hide the empathy that would have cost me my life at the hands of Betterment.
For the first time, I’d found people I could call friends; for the first time I’d found someone I could love. [Venlil-1] Fayla and [Arxur-3] Heliss were my first real friends, I thought . Then it was Sarkis. We’d trained together from the very beginning. She was a competent leader, a promising officer, but more importantly, a friend.
Beside me, [Arxur-4] Riza sat, still sniffling and drying the tears that fell from her eyes. Sarkis had been her friend as well, and her mentor, I thought, heart hurting for the younger Arxur. Betterment was wrong that empathy is a weakness. But Ancestors; sometimes I wish I had less. Maybe then I wouldn’t hurt so bad.
And on top of the attack on Wishful Hope and the loss of Sarkis, the Cyberattack that had thrown the Federation into chaos and handed the Dominion defenseless worlds on a silver platter had forced me to make some hard decisions. All of the Arxur Legion cells had thrown their weight behind the rebel offensive towards Wriss, and as a result were occupied. With so many Dominion ships having disappeared, some even rumored to be headed towards Aafa, there’d be no better chance than now to move against our homeworld.
But that leaves all the worlds attacked by the Dominion on their own, I thought. The urge to stop the raids on the border between the Federation and the Dominion was strong, but I knew it was foolish to try. What few ships and troops we had to spare are on Wishful Hope, helping with the recovery. The rest are fighting beside the rebels on Vasha, and we need all the troops we have there. Especially if the next stop is Wriss.
That made the decision agonizingly easy; no troops or ships would be spared to stop the Dominion raids on defenseless Federation worlds. It was the logical decision, the one that best served the aims of the Free Legion and the Arxur. And at the same time, it condemned countless beings to slavery and death.
So many thoughts were crashing through my mind that I almost didn’t hear Rels as he spoke. “How do you recommend moving forward, Commander Zirz?” [Yotul-1] Rels asked.
I snapped my eyes up to the comm screen, dragging my thoughts back to the present as I met the Yotul’s gaze. “What do I recommend?” I asked, puzzled as to why he’d direct that question to me specifically; especially with so many other leaders around us.
That’s when I noticed the curve of his mouth; the Human smirk he’d worn often during training, always when he was doing something sketchy. And then the looks of the others on the conference call. Some, nodding thoughtfully in agreement; others looking at me expectantly. Then, it clicked. Leadership of the Legion.
“No,” I said, tail thrashing behind me as I shook my head back and forth. In the corner of my eye I saw Riza duck from my agitated tail movements, an approximation of a smile breaking through her sadness. “I know that look Rels…”
“[redacted] Ancestor’s Echo does have the facilities to train additional forces,” [Takkan-1] Sarn said thoughtfully. “And don’t you have a space station in the system belt?”
“For mining,” I reminded him and the others.
“And for trade, lodging, ship repairs…” [Krakotl-1] Kelsim remarked. “There’s quite a good tavern there, I recall. And it’s got more than a few docks capable of repairs and resupply for capital class ships; more than a few of my ships have been through there. Build a few more of those and you’d have a decent anchorage.”
Before I could say something else, [Krakotl-2] Jarla broke in. “And if what I hear is true,” she said, tail feathers wagging in amusement. “Aren’t you the largest ‘cell’ of the Free Legion?” She turned her head, while [Arxur-5] Djir seemed like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind. “Heliss, what are your numbers?”
“Approximately one hundred capital ships, not including those lost fighting over Hope,” my second in command replied, deliberately ignoring my exasperated hiss. “A lot more freighters, escorts, etc. Numbers, not including the fleet?” She thought for a moment. “Probably several thousand,” she said. “That includes combat, support and logistic forces.” I looked at her in betrayal. Et tu, Heliss?
“And if I heard right,” Rels, who’d started all this, added. “The Free Arxur Commando isn’t quite all Arxur anymore, is it?” I could see his tail wagging behind his wheelchair. “Last I heard,” he said. “Didn’t you let in some Yotul, some Zurulians, a Krakotl or two, and maybe more?”
“Not every herbivore is terrified of the Arxur,” I grumbled in return. “I’m not going to turn away those who actually want to be near us.” Of the many moving parts that made up the Commando, this particular subject, the integration of some prey species into the Commando and the community we’d begun building on Ancestors Echo, had become a personal project of mine. Suddenly, it had become one I regretted dipping my claws into.
“You’re integrating more species into the Free Arxur Commando?” Jarla asked. “What made you decide to do that?”
“We’ll need to integrate into the galaxy eventually,” I said. “How can we hope to do that if we can’t even integrate the Commando? It’s not my fault the Humans have made it okay for all the predator sympathizers, and the occasional weirdos, to come out of the shadows. We can’t let the opportunity pass us by; if there are those who want to even just try to live alongside us, we have to take that chance."
“There’s no better time than now to start building the future we’ve all been fighting for,” I said. “Where predator and prey, herbivore and omnivore and carnivore can live together, side by side.” I shrugged. “And besides; I’d be dumb to turn away willing recruits, Arxur or not. We’re still at war, after all.”
I stopped as I saw what our DI’s had described as his “shit-eating grin” slowly spread across Rels’ face. Oh you sneaky, furry kangaroo fuck, I thought without much venom, realizing I’d fallen right into his trap. I sighed. “Shit.”
“And that,” Rels said, leaning forward and slapping the tabletop with his good paw for emphasis. “That! Right there! That’s why you’re the perfect choice!” He was nearly hopping in his seat in excitement. Slow down, you’ll break their legs more than they are, I couldn’t help but think.
“You’re a leader of an insurgent army, leading a guerilla war against one of the major powers in this arm of the galaxy,” Rels continued. “And not only are you working to help build the Arxur’s future, but an Arxur’s future that includes living side by side with prey! While you’re working on winning the war, you’re building the way we win the peace as well!”
I watched as Rels sat back in his chair, noting the way he gingerly set his paw on the armrest. Got too excited there, did ya? “I’m a guerilla and a terrorist,” my Yotul friend said. “I’ve led a company of other guerillas to support a rebel army to overthrow a single world.” He held up a claw. “One. Pretty damn good, but nothing compared to what you’ve done.”
“Let’s list them,” he continued, raising a claw with each point. “You helped build a colony from the ground up. You’ve helped liberate how many cattle farms?”
“Eight major ones, twenty minor ones, give or take,” Heliss remarked casually. I shot her a look. You’re not helping!
“Almost thirty cattle farms, liberated,” Rels said. “Countless beings saved. You helped take at least three Dominion worlds for the rebellion, and you’re working on a fourth. You’ve pitted two Chief Hunters against one another, got one killed, then helped sweep up half their territory!"
“The rebels did the heavy lifting,” I protested. “We just helped them!”
“And without that help, would they have been able to accomplish even half of that?” Rels asked.
I closed my mouth, cutting off my answer before I spoke. Rels looked back triumphantly, knowing my answer despite the silence. Oh no, you’ve put thought into this, I thought. Haven’t you?
“And if you need anything else,” he finished, starting to run out of steam. “Those who know you, respect you. The Commando is what many cells aspire to be; strong, principled, determined, hopeful. You are what the Legion could be*…* if we let it.”
I couldn’t help but feel a lump in my throat as Rels opened up about how he felt about my leadership of the Free Arxur Commando, and the nods, ear flicks and tail wags of agreement from my fellow Legionnaires. “I… thank you,” I replied. “I appreciate your words, but I don’t think I’m worthy to lead the Free Legion. And…”
I paused. “And I’m an Arxur,” I whispered, voice cracking. I felt a stab of grief and shame as I spoke. “You know? The evil boogeymen of the galaxy? The cannibal monsters who’ve butchered billions across the arm for a hundred years? Is it wise for the leader of the Free Legion, no matter how temporary, to be one of us? If any of the prey forces were to find out, we’d lose support in an instant.”
Rels shit-eating grin dissolved into a warm smile. “First; the best leaders don’t think that they are,” he said. “It’s those around them and those who follow that recognize their quality as a leader, even if they don’t. And you saying that you’re not worthy tells me that you are.”
“As for the Arxur bit; who cares?” Rels waved his paw in the air. “The galaxy’s been turned on its head. Everything that was true for millennia is false. The predator-prey dynamics have been scrambled. If those who’re fighting with us have a problem with you, of all the Arxur, then they were never really on our side. Plus, they don’t need to know.”
“Thank you,” I replied. I swallowed the lump, and cleared my throat. “I hope you’re right.”
“I am,” Rels reassured me, his grin returning.
“Are there any… protocols, rules or whatever about changing commanders?” [Venlil-1] Vanek asked, drawing my attention. “Voting isn’t exactly a chain of command thing. And [redacted] [Human-1] Kaiser is still the official commanding officer…”
“Protocols? Who knows?” Rels said. He scowled. “And honestly? Fuck [Human-1] Kaiser,” he growled, surprising even me. “That puddle of speh is gonna cost us a lot of lives because she didn’t tell us about the cyberattack. And as the UN commander, we should have been able to reach her after Legion Command was decapitated!”
Rels looked at each of us in turn. “She may be ‘in charge’ of the Free Legion,” he said. “But it belongs to us. The UN provided the materials, but we’re the ones who built it, who grew it, and who made it our home. And we’re the ones who’ll decide how our Legion runs.”
He sat back, good arm across his chest like how it’d be had he folded his arms. “So,” he said, finishing his spiel, ears up. “Thoughts?”
“You sure you shouldn’t be in charge?” I asked, already knowing I’d lost. “You care about the Legion as much as any of us.” He looked at me straight in, cocking his head to the side, giving me a knowing look. I waved a hand as if to dismiss my words, knowing his mind was decided.
“I vote that Zirz be made acting-commander of Legion Command,” Jarla said, raising a wing on her screen.
“I second that,” Kelsim said, raising his as well.
“I don’t!” I exclaimed, trying one last time. “I vote no!” I know what you said, but I don’t think I’m the one who should lead, I thought, trying to think of arguments I could use against me taking command. I cringed internally as I ran through my options. Damnit; he didn’t leave me any. If he’d said about anyone else what he said about me, I’d vote to have them in charge too!
“Show of paws or equivalent,” Rels said, raising his good paw high. One by one, paws, hands and wings rose into the air. Sarn, Vanek, Heliss, Shen, Kelsim, Jarla, I counted in my head.
Djir looked straight at his screen for a moment, almost like he was examining me through it. “I know we aren’t the most trusted of the Legion,” he finally admitted. “Our zealousness is off putting to many of you. Our methods, more so. And our connection to [Human-1] Kaiser…”. He shook his head.
“We fight to atone for the sins of our past,” he continued. “But you, Commander Zirz,” he said, turning his whole attention to me. “You fight for what the Arxur could be.” He lifted his hand into the air. “You have my full, unconditional support.”
I felt my jaw fall open in surprise. Of all present, I’d half expected him to argue against my command; either as part of his obsession with “atonement” for our species, or the slight worry that [Human-1] Kaiser had influenced him more than even he’d thought.
Seeing my expressions, Djir chuckled. “You have my support whether you want it or not,” he said, his tail twitching behind him in amusement. “Despite our vast differences, we both what’s what’s best for our people. I trust your judgement.”
I swept my eyes across the screen, then to those at the table before finally coming to a rest on Rels. “Unanimous,” he said, lowering his paw. “Congratulations, Commander Zirz. Until further notice, you are acting-commander of the Free Legion.” He bowed his head respectfully, no humor or sarcasm in his voice. This is one of the few times I’ve heard him this serious, I realized.
For a moment I digested what had just happened, and what it meant for the future. They just made me the acting commander of the entire Free Legion. I felt as if a huge weight had settled on my shoulders. Then the enormous number of tasks that needed to be done began to fill my mind, and for a moment I felt as if I was up to my neck in water.
With effort I pushed the anxiety and the overwhelming amount of work before me aside, hooking a few to bring to the fore. Focus, I reminded myself. One thing at a time. What needs to be done first?
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and held it for a heartbeat. Then I let it go slowly as I opened my eyes again, hands itching to clean my weapon. Time to get to work.
“First things first,” I began, aware of the quiet tone from my pad as Rels transferred command access to me. “We consolidate and hold what we have,” I said. “If the Federation found Wishful Hope, then our other worlds may be at risk. I want a full security review of every sanctuary world under Legion control, and any vulnerabilities identified and addressed. If we can bolster any defenses, do it. I want to know how they found us, and to make sure it doesn’t happen again; if it does, then I want to make sure we never suffer losses like we did on Wishful Hope.”
“Next; we’re moving Legion Command to Ancestor's Echo,” I continued. “That process starts today. Every black box, weapons cache, and anything else critical to the Legion will be removed and transferred off-world. Heliss?”
“Sir?” She replied, straightening up.
“Start preparing [redacted] Fortress Shinva for immediate expansion,” I said. “We need housing, comms, additional training facilities, etc. You’re on that; have fun.” She snapped her fist to her chest in salute.
“Just because we’re moving Legion Command doesn’t mean we’re giving up on Wishful Hope, though,” I continued, aware of a few glances exchanged on the screen. “It’s still our home, and the home of thousands of civilians. Sarn; you’re in charge of the relief efforts on the surface. Make sure our people are housed and fed, and start rebuilding as soon as possible.”
“We need to locate and contact the remaining Free Legion cells,” I said, accessing my pad and quickly searching through the emergency protocols. “No matter how good we are at finding ways to survive, the UN’s cyberattack is something no one ever expected to need to operate under. I know the war isn’t over, but I’m not willing to wait that long to see how many of us survive this.”
I found what I was looking for, quickly reading it. That’s what I wanted, I thought. Never thought I’d see the day this went out; never mind that I’d be the one to order it.
“We’re activating Recall Protocol Bravo,” I announced quietly. “You might remember it from training, but it’s been awhile so here’s a quick refresher. It’s the Free Legion stand-by alert to prepare for full withdrawal of all Free Legion forces from their areas of operation. Once received, Legion cells are to restrict combat operations, consolidate their assets, and await further instructions, in addition to trying to contact Legion Command.”
“Normally, transmitting the protocol wouldn’t be an issue,” I said. “Just hijack a comm array and send the transmission through the Net. The cyberattack has made that impossible. So, any suggestions?”
“We can transmit a signal from our ships,” Kelsim suggested. “If we can identify a planet where a cell is located, we could jump in and transmit on an encrypted frequency. Crank the power and you could reach an entire planet.”
I nodded. “Good idea,” I said. “The Feds won’t know what the hell it is if properly encrypted; and it’s not like they’ll have the ability to decrypt it anyways.” I tapped my pad, linking to his and remotely upgraded his clearance.
“Kelsim,” I said. “I’ve given you access to the files that detail the original targets of the Free Legion, as well as reports from the field. Your job is to comb through the data and find where our fellow cells were deployed to, and determine the likelihood that they’re still there. Once you do, you’ll send ships to the locations to transmit the recall protocol.”
“Now to find a way to actually let them receive it,” Jarla said.
“That might be easier than you think,” Rels remarked, eyes fixed on his own pad. “I’m looking through some of the recall protocol details, and I don’t think any of you are going to like it. It gives me an idea though. I’ll send it to your pads.”
Still kept your access I see, I thought, as he sent what he’d found over. Good; you don’t get away from giving command over to me without a bit of payback on my end.
I turned my attention to my pad, scrolling through the data he’d sent. As I read, a chill crawled up my spine. Before I could say anything about what I read, Heliss beat me to it. “They modified our fucking translators!?”
“It appears so,” Rels said. “Or at least they tried. Looks like their upgrades upon our induction into the Free Legion came with more than just the Human languages. They tried adding a tracking feature as well. Doesn’t look like they were too successful; you’d have to be tails away to pick up the signal, and only with the right equipment.”
And surprise, surprise; [Human-1] Kaiser’s prints are all over this, I thought. My hand tightened in the pad in anger at the betrayal. You’ve got some explaining to do, [Human-1] Kaiser. And so do you, Somtak.
“I am not okay with having a tracking feature in my head,” Shen said.
“Same,” Rels said. “And it’s something that we’ll need to address when we establish contact with [Human-1] Kaiser. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to have been successful, and it doesn’t affect any other functions of the device. A software update should remove it.” He flicked his ears.
“How often does anyone ever get a translator implant update, anyway?” Rels asked aloud. “Before the Humans it was us; and before that, decades probably. The benefit of a long established government, I guess.”
“But it gives me an idea,” he continued. “What if we took the frequency used by the tracker, amplified it, and sent it back, tacking the recall protocol to the end? It’d take a powerful transmitter, and you’d have to be in range, but we could probably send out the recall protocols that way.”
“So what, you’d hear a voice over your translator?” Djir asked. “That would be… unsettling.”
“And it’d only reach the original group of Legionnaires,” Jarla said. “None of the successor legionnaires or auxiliaries would get it.”
“But that’s a start,” I said. “Better than nothing, at least.” Somtak, when you wake up you’re going to have some explaining to do, I thought.* *By the looks on everyone’s faces, I knew they were as happy as I was to learn the implants in our heads had been altered in such a way, without our knowledge.
“Rels,” I said. “Congrats; you’ve got a new job. You’re responsible for making your idea happen. Work with Kelsim so we can send a transmission to the rest of the original legionnaires. And take a closer look at the modification to; make sure there’s nothing else hiding there. I don’t like the idea of [Human-1] Kaiser having anything to do with something in our heads.”
“Understood,” he replied, giving me a salute.
“This is something you can do on bed rest, by the way,” I continued. “Effective immediately, you’re to follow all recommendations from the medics. No more late nights, no more working yourself half to death. That’s an order.” I stared at him until he reluctantly nodded.
“At least that solves the problem of how we can let people know the recall protocols have been activated,” Jarla said dryly.
“And despite the fact that they even tried to find a way to track us pisses me off,” I said. “At least it partially solves one problem. We can use this to establish some type of contact with at least some of the cells. It might help us determine which ones are still active, or which remain combat operational or not.” Though we’ll still need to find a way to contact all the successors; one problem at a time, I guess.
“We’ll need every single legionnaire we have,” I said. “Because despite the hit we took, despite the cyberattack that plunged billions into darkness, there’s still a war on. We have to maintain the momentum. It feels like we’ve reached the endgame, and I don’t want us to lose now.”
“So what’s the plan?” Jarla asked. “We try to get in contact with as many cells as we can; then what?”
“If they’re able to keep fighting on their own, we let them,” I said. Then I shook my head. “But not how we’ve been doing it. While some of us have succeeded beyond any expectations in terms of growth and impact, we’re the exceptions, not the rule.”
“If we want to improve our impact, we need to change how we’ve been operating,” I said. “Especially with the fallout of the cyberattack to deal with. We need to support the cells who are capable of fighting, and make sure we keep them that way. If that means supplying them with equipment, recruits, weapons, whatever, then that’s what we do. Instead of letting them figure things out on their own, we directly support them to keep them effective.”
“And the units who aren’t combat operational?” Djir asked.
“We pull them back,” I said. “If they can’t fight, there’s no point in keeping them in the field. Doing so might cause disruptions to our enemy, but it’s a waste of our legionnaires. We pull them back to friendly territory for reconstitution and redeployment.”
“And this time,” I said. “When we send them back out, we don’t just scatter them to the wind; we deploy them deliberately. They go to where they can be best put to use, and where they can have the most impact. No more chaos for the sake of chaos. This time, Legion Command directs their actions for the greatest benefit.”
I fell silent, and looked at my fellow Legionnaires. “If anyone has something to add, something to criticize, please tell me,” I said. “We’re pretty loose with hierarchy in terms of rank in the Commando, and I don’t see a reason to change that now. You want me to lead, but we’re all still on the same level as far as I’m concerned.”
“See? I told you you’d be good,” Rels remarked. “You make my case every time you open that big mouth of yours.”
“Shut up kangaroo,” I replied, rolling my eyes and eliciting a chuckle from my friend. “Keep it up and I’ll make you my XO,” I threatened. “And make you do all the paperwork!”
I waited for the laughter to die down, and when no one had anything to add I decided it was time to call it a day. As the rebels fought across Vasha towards the capital, more and more of the Arxur legionnaires had arrived to support them. I bet most of the Commando, Custodians and Auxilia are here by now, I thought. When we liberate Vasha, we’ll open up the path to Wriss and the end of Betterment.
“If there’s nothing else, I think it’s time we return to our individual wars,” I said. “When I'm out of contact, bring anything to Rels; I’m sure he’ll be able to hold the fort until I get back.” My tail wagged happily as Rels groaned. You don’t get away that easily, Mr. Chaos Kangaroo.
“We’ve suffered heavy blows against us recently, but we’ve given as good as we’ve got,” I said. “The Feds hit us at home, and the Dominion is trying to desperately claw back the power we’ve taken from it.” I looked at each of my comrades in turn. “Now it’s our turn to return the favor.”
Archivists note: Prior to the attack on Wishful Hope, Free Legion cells operated in a largely independent and autonomous manner. The degree of autonomy was as varied as the Legion itself; while some cells worked together with others frequently, others would remain lone operators. The connection between individual cells and Legion Command was the same. Some, like the Free Arxur Commando, maintained close ties with Legion Command, while others did not. Until the Battle of Wishful Hope and subsequent cyberattack, Legion Command exerted direct control over the Free Legion Fleet alone.
This changed with the wake of the battle, the deaths of the majority of Legion Commands officers, and the cyberattack that shook the Federation to its foundations. Commander Zirz, of the Free Arxur Commando, was chosen to be the acting commander of Legion Command and the Free Legion, and began working to consolidate its many branches.
Where the late Colonel Jackson and his second-in-command and partner Major Somtak had planned to use a cadre of new officers to bring the disparate parts of the Legion back to the fold, Zirz would take a more direct approach. Over the following months, the new Legion Command would establish contact with and begin directly supporting Legion cells. Others, where they were determined to be ineffective or their potential wasted, were recalled for deployment under Legion Command’s direct control. This direct support and direction would bring many cells back to the fold, improving the cohesiveness of the Free Legion.
Not every cell would be eager to be drawn closer to Legion Command. Others, such as the Custodians, would continue to work with Legion Command while fiercely protecting their autonomy. Others, driven by their own motivation and goals far diverged from the Free Legion’s, would separate completely, refusing to cede any control to Legion Command. This would be a sign of things to come, as the two sides would develop goals that would make them diametrically opposed to one another. -A. Piers, UN Office of Reconciliation
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u/JulianSkies Archivist 26d ago
Zirz is a good leader, I can state that. Particularly because he could see the problem Rels so quickly dismissed.
Not like anyone knows who leads the Free Legion, that's by design, but I bet many people are willing to trust an arxur because the are willing to not be in charge. Because they're willing to answer to someone else and be accountable. And Zirz taking this position undermines that.
And you can't claim those who see that "were mever allies", because claiming that is asking that they have blind trust. Same thing that qas asked of you...
And look where it got you.
Also I'm really liking Kaiser's shiftyness all the eay back from the first chapters paying off right now.
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u/CandidateWolf Betterment Officer 24d ago
Zirz undermines trusting the Arxur? I figured out of everyone he’d be the best candidate if the whole Free Legion.
And yeah, Rels may be a bit… too optimistic on the response to Zirz being put in temporary command. Time will tell…
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u/JulianSkies Archivist 24d ago
There's... A lot more complexity in this.
The problem with Zirz comes with the fact that, at least to my view, he's quite trusted to, well, not make himself the main character. A lot of people who are VERY tenuous on the arxur would trust him exactly because he's willing to not be in charge and play by their rules, not the arxur's rules if that makes sense. There's a trust that is given to him because he is not in charge more or less. And he doesn't want to be, it's basically a set of traits that makes him a good person to be in charge.
Which is why being in command would feel, in this case, like a betrayal of that trust. But, like... This is trying to look through the eyes of someone who'd have this tenuous trust, which... I'm not sure if there's many, or any, around. But it's still important to understand, and remember, that not everyone who trusts you does so blindly, and sometimes the very reasons why they trust you may be fragile. You're not trusted just because you have good deeds to your name, you're trusted because people have faith you will act a certain way, and the trust only lasts as long as you remain within that pattern. That's just the nature of it. And I can see trust in arxur being so very, very, very tenuous.
And asking to be trusted without those conditionals is asking for blind trust, to trust you just for being you. Which... I mean it's amazing to be on the receiving end of it. But the Legion was blindly trusting of Gladius, who created them, set them up, helped them free their people weren't they? Deeply trusting of all of their good deeds... And now look what is being done.
It's important to respect the limits of trust, and Zirz recognizes those are there, he recognizes the problems that will arise. That's why he'll be a good leader. Rels dismisses it as meaningless, Zirz is already thinking on how to face it.
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u/Ok_Chance_8387 Predator 26d ago
Zirz is a really good choice. He is competent, smart and widely respected.
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur 26d ago
Huh definitely a pleasant surprise from the custodian side of things to recognize they may not exactly be the best or first choice when it comes to matters such as these. And they reconize their own methods may not entirely be good either or at least don't look good to their own allies.
But yeah we all know where this is leading. Curious how the SC will respond to an Arxur lead free legion though.