srwu | A hero's crushing realization of human mortality

Date: 2014-07-21 02:21 pm (UTC)

From:

no subject

[Passing by Izuru after returning from some of the funeral duties for the fallen pilots Yuuya pauses and turns to the younger pilot with a semi-complicated look on his face.]

Hey Izuru, come on sit down over here. [he guides the pilot to a seat in a semi-out of the way side corridor.] You have to realize that sometimes these things happen, it's never pleasant but it's a reality of what we do. Any one of the things out there could kill us just as dead as the Kaiju or we may be called upon to sacrifice ourselves like Kanade, TSFs carry extremely powerful self-destruct charges for dedicated anti-BETA operations, mostly Hive assaults but they are standard equipment.

Yancy died trying to save more lives, which he succeeded in and Kanade saved pretty much everyone who was present in that mission with her sacrifice. Nobody is happy that these things happened and sadly there isn't anything we can do to fix it but as long as you remember them then that's the important part.

Eishi get their name from a Japanese word that roughly translates as "guardian". It's not uncommon for a unit that has been too depleted to give up any chance of escape to buy other units to retreat or to complete a critical mission objective. I at one point said that the pilots involved with the UG group qualified for that name after their first encounter with the BETA but it would seem that it was a more appropriate name then I originally expected.

They died knowing the risks and what could or, in Kanade's case, would happen to them. You can be sad and there's no shame in crying over lost friends but remember that they stood proud even through to the end and that their sacrifices gave others the chance to live.

Date: 2014-07-21 03:25 pm (UTC)

From:

herodrawing

no subject

I know this kind of thing happens.

[A loud sniff.]

Heroes... sacrifice themselves to save others, right?

But this was supposed to be a fun concert. Nothing more. And miss Kanade promised she'd take care of herself.

So many people lost their lives, instead...

Date: 2014-07-21 06:18 pm (UTC)

From:

ugyuuya

no subject

It's more those who are in a position to do things to save others is what makes a hero in the end Izuru. How many more people would have died if Kanade hadn't done what she did?

I just got back from a briefing that was held because Lt. Takamura wanted to have her own remembrance for Kanade and what she did. The final words she was saying were a will of sorts, leaving her life behind for us to carry on and that she was able to die peacefully knowing that she not only saved us but also the other survivors from the second division and audience. I can admit that the effect was notable but the calm she felt confuses me. I don't think that I could push the button in a similar situation quite as easily.

[Yuuya trails off near the end, his own sense of confusion carrying through as he finds himself vocalizing the same thoughts that were troubling him before he started trying to comfort Izuru.]

Date: 2014-07-21 06:24 pm (UTC)

From:

herodrawing

no subject

[Izuru lowers his head in thought, which also gives him a few seconds to pull himself back together.]

Probably... everyone would have died. And my friends were there too.

Miss Kanade saved everyone. I just don't think the price she had to pay for it was fair at all.

Date: 2014-07-21 06:55 pm (UTC)

From:

ugyuuya

no subject

Well when it comes to it in the end that's what we sign up for. The level of commitment and sacrifice is what we can only hope and aspi- oh I can't even keep this up to myself anymore.

[Yuuya leans back and puts his head against the wall looking up at the ceiling.]

I was involved with the rescue team that pulled Raleigh off the coast and got to see the effects of Kanade's song first hand from my view over the battlefield with the Aerogators. This whole series of events has been one mess after another.

I wish Kanade were here right now so I could deck her in the stomach for pulling that stunt. It was bad enough with Willis or Seta but they can heal at the very least.

[Yuuya pulls himself away from his rant and calms down before looking rather sheepishly over at Izuru.]

Looks like I wasn't able to keep myself as composed as I was trying to. I just don't get how readily so many people here will dive in to injure or kill themselves to save others. I know I've run a few close saves but I always gauged what my unit could do against the window of action. It's a close thing and the margin of error was slim but I've never acted in a way that would willingly cripple or kill myself just to try to save another pilot. I'll do it if the order comes but even then I'll fight with all I've got to stay alive and come back. What happened there is noble and good but it's just frustrating because I can't console her final words and actions.

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