A person's recollection

[stupidhonor]

To have one final chance to speak to your parents, only to see them fade away in front of your eyes - how painful must it feel? Very so, and yet so many would wish for it regardless...

[Sielje speaks solemnly, mulling in front of her Knight's Arm. The unit is slouched forward and damaged after a fierce fight, but it stands peacefully - using its shield to rest its hands. The shield that bears the hastily painted insignia.]

The Ebon King - I understand, you and the plight of your daughter. I understand and sympathize... but I cannot promise to move blame for all her crimes and heinous deeds on you. This is not my call to make, I will swear a vow only if I can keep it.

...

[Sielje's gaze slowly turns to the pile of scrap metal under the Arm's feet.]


I may need another pike.

Comments

[actuallyselfish]

"The terms aren't complicated," Dido says, starring intently at Sieljie. "Tell me a bit about those fathers of yours that you're clearly thinking of...the ones who once told you to 'be kind, always'."

[stupidhonor]

They were only humble mechanics. It was their duty to make sure the machines and artifacts of our village kept running. There is not much to say, but...


But I admired them. I know it was a simple life without chase for glory or great deeds, all of Ankaia would look down on such lack of ambition. But we were happy together.

[actuallyselfish]

Dido nods. "There's some who call folks that seek peace and refuse to shed blood weak...and I'd call those some fools," she says softly.

She pulls out a paper scroll and unrolls it into a sheet of engineer's parchment. "You've done well by us, Sieljie. And us humble mechanics should do right by each other's kin!"

She sketches the outline of a pike similar to your busted one. "Beyond engineering, do you want the same polearm length and explosive charge?"

[stupidhonor]

I am no mechanic... I chose a different path in life. Not that I had much to choose from.

I appreciate it, but you realize - the weapon will be good for only one use regardless, yes? One strike and the head is gone.

[actuallyselfish]

"True," Dido allows. "But if we lay out a good design, we can more quickly and easily produce new pikes for you on demand!"

She chews the tip of her drafting pencil. "Do see yourself sticking to thrusting with this pike, or swinging with it like a glaive?"

[stupidhonor]

A fair point. I hope this will not consume too much of what you have available...

A good polearm can be used to do both. It is more versatile than you would think. But, the head tries to rush forward when I activate it. That makes it best suited for thrusting.

[actuallyselfish]

"Hmmm..." Dido says. "We could add an extra rocket thruster on the opposite side of a halberd blade. That way you could accelerate and detonate the warhead by swinging the pike in an arc. Is that a technique you'd see yourself using?"

[stupidhonor]

A true knight can use anything!

But what if the second rocket goes off by mistake? I would rather avoid it... or putting too much mechanical help on my weapons in the first place...

[actuallyselfish]

"Point," Dido allows. "I don't know what mechanics on your planet say, but on Earth, we try and remind ourselves to K.I.S.S."

Um...

"Keep it Simple Stupid," Dido clarifies. "How about this? I'll crank out a refined version of your main design, then a prototype of this modification. Test both of them out, see which works better for you. How about that?"

[stupidhonor]

That is a lot of effort and work all put into one thing. Are you sure of it?

I will try out whatever you make, it is not my intent to sound ungrateful. But is it fine with you, to do so much for one fighter?

[actuallyselfish]

"Well..." Dido muses, "you're going to use this weapon to fight powerful enemies, right? You're going to use it to save lives, mine possibly included, right?"

Dido shrugs. "How could I not put my all into this?"

[stupidhonor]

If this is the way you put it...

Yes.

I will expect good results, then.

[actuallyselfish]

Dido gives a thumbs up. "Sure thing!"

She starts sketching more on the Engineer's foolscap. "Actually, she mutters under her breath, "why not just attach warheads to a single polearm with bayonet sockets! That would simplify everything, and we could include multiple socket points..."