Frustration

[abugslife]

[After the return from the attack on Shadow Mirrors, Scaraber is severely damaged - a result of the fight with Teremun. It's located in Sakihama's hangar for the time being, the one closest to the operation area. Hetepheres watches as several of her beetle-like technicians ascertain the damage, one of them holding his (her?) head and shaking it.]

We have recovered Lamia Loveless, and the enemy base was destroyed, as planned. The mission, technically, went better than expected...

[Despite her words, something is not right. Hetepheres, who usually keeps her face stone cold, is seething with barely constrained anger right now.]

High Commander Teremun... You really should have killed me. You will regret your decision.

Comments

[abugslife]

Oh, I am sure the AEP are already doing that. For a long time they will go on about how their commander defeated the PEP one in an effortless victory, but is honorable and compassionate enough to spare her life. And many people will actually buy it.

It is up to the PEP spokesmen to turn this situation around, and in the worst case, run damage control. But my failure made their life much more difficult.

[gold_four]

...Do they accept audio files from alien units? Like, I get they might claim it was faked, but...

[abugslife]

I have already sent the footage from the battle back home. I leave it to specialists to decide what they are going to do with it.

Public relations are not my purpose. Fighting the AEP is. Although I knew that it is only a matter of time until Teremun participates in the battle himself... And it happened now.

[gold_four]

[Ataru mutters some slight exasperation under his breath, before speaking more aloud again.]

Seems a bit... old school though, for a political candidate to also be a major warrior. Haven't had leaders like those on Earth for several centuries now.

[abugslife]

Is it really that old school, though? Meganoids, Wulgaru, Cybertronians, Shadow Mirrors, La Gias - those are just few other races and factions that expect their leaders to also be powerful fighters.

Not every political figure on Geb is a warrior. However, this trend becomes more common in time, due to two factors.

[gold_four]

Trust me, you wouldn't find one of the Presidents on Earth hopping into a mecha anytime soon.

What factors though?

[abugslife]

Our culture puts a lot of emphasis on excellence in everything you pursue. Combine this with common genetic and cybernetic augmentation, and physical disciplines become very popular.

Also, being a trained warrior makes you harder to assassinate. Geb had less than peaceful periods in its history, even in comparison to today.

[gold_four]

...Common genetic augmentation, eh...?

[That gives Ataru a moment of pause.]

[abugslife]

Drawing parallels with your own situation, are you.

It is different on Geb. Augmentations are given to you after you are born, and nobody receives them against their own will, unless it is necessary to save their life and they are incapable of giving consent. Those medical augmentations, to correct health defects, are the most common ones; something like what I received would be definitely above the budget of an ordinary citizen.