A knight's imprisonment

[stupidhonor]

[1, right after mission]
[If you open the captive Ankaian unit cockpit, you find its pilot to look like a completely normal human woman. People who hoped for more weird aliens will be disappointed.

She however is armed with a sword - and points it at you! But the sword is sheathed, and given hilt first.]

I yield. By my name I swear to act like a captive should, make no attempts to backstab nor escape unless let go willfully.

I am now at your mercy.

[2]
Yes? What comes now?

Torture, is it?

[Sitting in a cell, Sielje is ready to be interrogated. She actually behaves without causing trouble as promised so if you have questions, ask them and see if she answers.]

Comments

[in_over_his_head]

Slipped...

[Because that's so much better than admitting you missed your chair trying to sit down because you were trying to remove your hat to look cool at the same time. Calvin winces a little from the coffee burns and yet ANOTHER lost hat as he gingerly gets into his seat and tries to keep a steady expression.]

In any case... there's probably some academics that would try to argue the case seeing as you aren't living on Earth anymore. I know another bunch would say your people are a threat to modern society because your culture has to their point of view... 'regressed', the durability of your war machines notwithstanding...

[He pauses a moment.]

Also as it turns out there's been a few species of extraterrestrials that look extremely human aside from a few minor differences... or at the very least are able to take a perfectly human form.

I'm sorry if I caused any offense.

[stupidhonor]

You caused none. I understand it was a one time accident.

[Sielje sits down again. But why does she focus on Calvin tripping and not what he said?]

People of Earth believe Ankaia may have regressed, you say. I disagree.

It is you who did. Not us.

[in_over_his_head]

[That was odd... still, Calvin files this away. What Sielje said next though was definitely more interesting.]

Really? Miss Sielje... or... how would you like me to refer to you... I'm not exactly sure as to etiquette among Ankaians. How exactly do you think that people here have regressed?

[stupidhonor]

Knight Sielje, the Guard of the South.

People of Earth are weak and corrupt. They ignore honor, laws of chivalry and fair play, seek personal gain not through achievement of their own, but abuse of others and backstabbing two-facedness.

It has been so since always, but as time went on, it only got worse.

1/2

[in_over_his_head]

I see.

[Calvin leans back a little and ponders his argument. After gnawing on the side of his tongue for a while he finds his words.]

Knight Sielje... I'd have to say you're kind of right and kind of wrong. We've got a lot of spineless cowards and corrupt slimeballs. And we've probably had to put aside honor, chivalry and fair play on the sidelines a little too much.

[The inspector lets out a small laugh next.]

And don't get me started on the part with the personal gain. I know that one far too well from the sharp end of the knife.

2/2

[in_over_his_head]

But even then we've got a lot of people who are willing to stand up for others and what they believe in. They're willing to die for it too. Good honest people.

Maybe we don't uphold chivalry, fair play and honor like we used to... maybe its because warfare changed... maybe it might be because people here spent a lot of time fighting for survival against enemies that either don't care or don't comprehend things like that and just want to cause as much carnage as possible, never mind if they're other humans or invaders from other places.

And honestly even if I got my head stepped on a couple of times, I'm willing to bet there's still plenty of people helping others reach the achievements they're chasing after instead of taking them for themselves.

So maybe we aren't as good as we should have been anymore... but at the very least there are people trying to get better.

And it isn't exactly honorable or fair to toss their lot in with the bad ones.

1/2

[stupidhonor]

We are all humans. People of Ankaia used to be people of Earth, a long time ago. The noble and the wicked alike can be born on both worlds, yes. I am aware.

I am aware, but!

2/2

[stupidhonor]

Is Earth not a world that puts the noble on the margin? The ruthless and underhanded are those who get ahead! That is the society Earth has formed, the society that promotes these corrupted values, the society Ankaia wishes no contact with!

[in_over_his_head]

The ruthless and underhanded only get ahead if they've actually managed to gain influence and the favor of others for their little schemes. Something I might add would happen to be very common with societies similar to yours.

Earth had knights and lords and kings in the past, and as much as everyone espoused chivalry and nobility... well... there's a reason it was called the Dark Age.

[stupidhonor]

I do not know what you are talking about. But when our founder, the legendary king of old, decided to leave Earth and seek new pure land for his followers to settle, the cultures were already corrupt.

This is why Ankaia is nothing like any of Earth's nations, on purpose.