My Fellow Guardians,

Something has been gnawing at the back of my mind for a while now. About the notion of 'destiny' itself, and the role that we ascribe to it in this world.

What do the people of The Last City and we Guardians, really believe that our destiny is? Is it to spread out, among the stars, destroy, conquer or subjugate the other beings that we find out there? That past conflicts, territories, fought over ages ago, are really still in some way 'ours' and that the universe and history someone justifies our human-centric imperialism?

Certainly some of the foes we have encountered so far seem intelligent: The Fallen for one. They've built great space-faring ships, weapons, great war machines - all richly decorated. They even have a writing system. Have we extended the olive branch of peace to them, even once?

Our own history, what little of it we still have, shows us again and again that even short, superficial divides between ourselves has lead to immeasurable pain and suffering. There are so few of us left, our safe-haven so small; can we really bear to fuel old grudges?

We can expand, to be sure, using The Traveller, make great metropolises again of magnificent beauty and activity. Construct warships and weapons on a massive scale. Secure our world, subdue others. But will it be worth it? Can we be sure we'd be doing anything different from our predecessors? What is to stop us being beaten down again?

The Traveller? Look it once more: do you see the scars and holes? Those weren't designed; they were inflicted.

Do not mistake me however: I am no pacifist. I will train with you, I will study with you and those who wish us harm shall tremble at the thought of us. But war cannot be our only weapon. I was once told that true security is not an enemy that cannot beat you, but a friend who would never think of fighting you. I cannot say it is untrue.

So what am I asking you to do? Simple: be always thinking. Seek knowledge of more than just military import. Try new ways of operating. Study the beings out there in their totality. Communicate with more than just guns and space-magic.

In the old legends, the hero was often told they had a very specific 'destiny.' But in the ones I like most, it was always their 'potential' destiny. The way they achieved it was often unexpected, on their own terms, or wildly different. Our potential destiny is still yet greater than even the Golden Age. Let us not waste it.

More than ever, be brave.

Yours,

RC

- No text -

Sir,

with all due respect, I don't think we have the luxury of peace and diplomacy. The fact we know so little about our own demise or how we subsist on the Earth, means we are forced to find out just what happened those many moons ago. We must use knowledge as our greatest virtue, lest we regress to the march of time like common animals. Make no mistake, Guardian, there are wolves in the dark. Luckily, we have some wolves of our own.

We don't know much, but we do know this: Our enemies came to us. They attacked us. Might there be some more benevolent motive behind their attacks? Might they, in their own way, be as stuck and against the wall as we are? Maybe. Maybe they are, but we do not have the luxury of sorting through those kinds of motives while we are one solitary city that is being attacked. Conceptually, I feel for any thinking beings that are in trouble, but realistically I feel for Humanity first and foremost, and I will defend Humanity from these aliens in the same way I will defend my family from attack against other human beings.

If these aliens desire peace let them take the first step. They are in our solar system, not we in theirs. So let them draw back. Let them lay down their arms. Let them make some obvious signs of desiring peace and I will be among the first to push for peace. Until then, I will do my job and defend our people and our city using any and every mean at my disposal.

-- Nairb Travarius.

We do not have the luxury of sorting through those kinds of motives while we are one solitary city that is being attacked.
If these aliens desire peace let them take the first step.

So far, all we have experienced from these aliens is death and destruction. In the face of such brutality it's easy to see our enemies as nothing but monsters. Yet do they not have similar desires and dreams?

We must not waiver in our conviction.
We must protect those that we love.

However, we must also respect our enemy and not allow ourselves to forget that they may not be all that different from us. Otherwise we may find ourselves becoming the very monsters they we think they are!

...For I too have considered such! Truly our own ignorance is that to make us fools!; And here... that is the point. Such a thing has both withheld my utterance and is what makes this thought folly, for now. For a time.
We (well...most) have yet to traverse the wilds.

No doubt I need not remind the blatantly obvious nature of our collective realities that we live in. We are but a, and forgive me if this is too grandiose, a broken leg of its former self. The bone saved from amputation of this world for a reason we, it seems, can not know.

So we are forced into the condition like a plot well scripted, for there is no other light to walk towards but that from the ability and weapons our foes have dared cast to us.

We have no choice but to play along with this realities little game. For now... till the new light....

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...and we will do it together. As the pack.

Brother in Knowledge and A Really Big Stick™,

INSANEdrive