//------------------------------// // Chapter 54 // Story: Hegira: Eternal Delta // by Guardian_Gryphon //------------------------------// Earth Calendar: 2117 Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact) April 6th, Gregorian Calendar Neyla chuckled, and shook her head as she tore off another strip of her breakfast. Synth meat dipped in some sort of sweet and sour sauce. "He is exaggerating. It wasn't *that* bad..." Alyra giggled as Fyrenn rolled his eyes, and snorted. The elder Gryphon shot Neyla a wry glance, and raised an eyebrow. "She drove directly into everything but the kitchen sink. And only half of it intentionally. I've never seen anyone do more damage with nothing but the chassis and treads of a vehicle." Neyla nodded vigorously, and leveled an index talon. "More than you did with the main gun." Fyrenn chuckled, and shook his head, an enormous grin plastering itself to the edges of his beak. "Oh you want to go there? Well next time, we can swap seats and you can see just how hard it is to track small targets with a weapon designed to kill other tanks!" Neyla raised an eyebrow, and shook her head slowly. "The only problem with that? I want to live through the experience, the next time I get into a Human vehicle. I don't feel very good about my chances if you're at the controls. Not after what you did in the Javelin." Fyrenn raised a claw, inhaled, and opened his beak to deliver a retort. The words were on the tip of his tongue when a voice from behind interrupted him. The red Gryphon swiveled his head, locking eyes with Sildinar and perking his ears. "Fyrenn. You have a visitor." The roan Gryphon's eyes conveyed a sense of mild, but valid urgency. Fyrenn nodded slowly, then glanced swiftly between Alyra, and Neyla. "I'll be back in time for lunch." Neyla nodded, and waved a claw. "Don't be concerned. I no longer have any specific duties, now that the evacuation has ended." Fyrenn smiled, and inclined his head appreciatively as he rose from the table. He winked down at Alyra, and raised one eyebrow slightly. "No tank lessons." The fledgling did her best to adopt a mock pout, but failed miserably, collapsing into a fit of giggles as Fyrenn made his way out of the cafeteria behind Sildinar. The Bureau's atrium was eerily empty, and silent. Sildinar did not speak until the two Gryphons had made their way into the lift, and the compartment had begun its ascent. "She is acclimating well. Fledglings are resilient beyond anything we give them credit for..." Fyrenn nodded, and smiled slightly. "I was so afraid. Fearful of what she might become after the death of her sister, fearful that she wouldn't come to think of me as her kin... But so far she has been amazingly optimistic. She is better at holding back the tides of bitterness than most, and that will serve her well in life. And she seems eager for family life." Sildinar returned the smile, and flicked one ear slightly. "And you?" Fyrenn tilted his head back and forth momentarily, and sighed. "I'm glad, without reservations, to have brothers. Though I'm nervous, I am eager to be a good father too. But I'm still struggling with the idea of creating familial ties in other ways. I don't have Neyla's capacity for raw optimism and daring. And I don't share her high opinion of me." Sildinar shook his head slowly, gazing out and down into the Atrium until the lift passed into the opaque portion of its riser tube. "Taking a mate is much like becoming a parent, in that you can never be as ready the ridiculous standards you hold yourself to. There is, true, a certain amount of caution required, and a healthy dose of maturity, but you are not a young lovestruck fool. You are old and wise enough to make life-impacting decisions without allowing yourself to become the thing you fear." Silence reigned as the lift reached its destination. The two Gryphons exited, and made their way to a conference room. Fyrenn shivered as he took note of the still and quiet emptiness of the corridors. His attention was swiftly diverted however, as the door opened, and a familiar, yet highly unexpected visage greeted him. He allowed the first words that came to mind to spring forth. "I'm glad to see you're recovering." Fyrenn winced slightly as Celestia turned to gaze directly at him. Her mane appeared several shades duller than usual to his perception. Though he knew Human eyes would miss the difference, to him it was an appreciable and measurable indicator of the drain the Alicorn had placed upon herself. As Sildinar excused himself, the Princess sighed, and nodded wearily. "I am doing my best, but circumstances seem to be conspiring to hinder my efforts. These are stressful times, for a variety of reasons." Fyrenn nodded, and tilted his head, waiting for the second half of the thought that Celestia's tone implied was forthcoming. The Alicorn sighed once more, and closed her eyes as she continued. "Imagine, if you will, my reaction when I discover that you are the source of the latest political disaster to cross my path." The red Gryphon tensed slightly, and his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as the muscles in his face hardened. Celestia opened her eyes, and did her best to pierce Fyrenn with a gaze laden with a variety of negative emotions. "Your actions have created severe, damaging polarization at a time when we can not afford disunity amongst Humankind. This world is facing an ecological crisis of immense proportions... The Bureaus hold out the only workable solution for the vast majority of the population. You have directly antagonized both the majority of the Earthgov, and a vocal appreciable minority of the populace! Why?!" Fyrenn narrowed his eyes further, his ears flattening reflexively as his anger mounted. He kept his tone level, but he did nothing to prevent a subtle hint of his fury from leaking into his words. "I respect you, immensely. So please honor this request; Don't provoke me. You are talking about a situation you don't fully understand, and you're questioning my judgement in the process. You are effectively suggesting I should have handed the problem with sub-rosa dealings and backroom politics... And I resent any such conception more than I can describe. So if you are of that opinion? Keep it to yourself, for both our sakes." Celestia shook her head emphatically, and returned the red Gryphon's glower. "Because *I* respect *you,* I can not remain silent on this point." The Alicorn raised a hoof as Fyrenn prepared to cut her off, continuing calmly and forcefully. "I can not, do not, and will not, blame you for taking some extreme measures to protect your daughter... Even to the point of taking lives. But surely, you must see that you crossed a line. It is one thing to defend yourself and others. Even to make a statement in victory. It is another thing to bypass due process on a large scale. To injure and kill members of your own government. To carry out what were, essentially, political assassinations." Fyrenn threw up his claws, raising his voice slightly. "Well what would you have done? Risked her life for the sake of sparing some worthless politicians a public humiliation? Allowed these people to cower behind the lawyers, courts, and electoral systems they built, bought, and control?" Celestia's eyes softened slightly, and she exhaled slowly. "I would have found some sort of middle-ground. Fyrenn... You have not simply humiliated a few mid-ranking Councilors. You have given radical, violent pro-Humanists, and anti-Humanists both *credibility,* for the first time! You have publicly made an exhibition of the Human government. Set a dangerous precedent that potentially makes their decisions subservient to the beliefs and protocols of a different species! And you've shown the world that Human governance is helpless to resist if your kind decides to press them on an issue." Fyrenn shook his head and blinked rapidly. "Why would anyone want to be led by hypocrites, who viciously exploit inequality that they themselves take pains to maintain at every turn? I spared the Human race from decades of future leadership under psychopaths. Maybe the fact that we're able, and willing to do what no one else could, or would, should be comforting, not frightening." The Alicorn sighed once more, and tilted her head slightly to the side. "And what makes you think that the rest of Earthgov will see it that way? What makes you think that the civilian population will see it that way? What makes you think another such situation won't one day arise on a larger scale? Frankly I am not sure what is worse; The anger and shame you have generated in the government, or the sympathy and sentiment for your behaviour that you've whipped up in the general population. Humans are eager to mistrust their leaders, and you're feeding that paranoia. In turn that only increases the government's furor, and as a result, they withdraw cooperation at critical junctures." The red Gryphon exhaled sharply, and glanced to the side, shaking his head once more with fervor. "I disagree with the assertion that I have that much potential influence. People already distrust the government, and with good reason. The institution has been rotting. For centuries. All I did was kick over the top layer and remind everyone, myself included, how deep it goes. They don't deserve their power. It has to be taken from them. Before they abuse it any further." Celestia exhaled slowly in frustration, piercing Fyrenn with a painfully sad stare. "You disappoint me. Your potential is boundless... And you have made so much progress, in so many ways... But you are thinking too narrowly, and too aggressively. You are not simply a soldier, or even a warrior anymore. You are also a public figure, and an important political lynchpin between my kind, yours, and Humanity. You can not afford to continue behaving as if you are a lone fighter, standing up for his beliefs. You have to behave like a leader!" Fyrenn hissed loudly, and flared his wings, shouting outright at last in a tone that carried more anxiety and frustration than anything else. "Well what if I don't WANT to be a public figure?! I didn't sign on for Conversion so I could get influence, or a leadership role! I did it because I wanted to be a Gryphon, and I did it because I wanted to have a family! These 'people,' threatened my family! Both of my species! So I did what had to be done! Politics? Diplomacy? Subtlety? These people THRIVE on the indulgences of apathetic, exhausted, oppressed populations, and pacifist idealist leaders like you." The monarch hung her head, and sat back on her haunches. Silence fell for a moment, as Celestia glanced out the room's main window. When she resumed speaking, her tone was slightly conciliatory. "This visit was originally intended to be an important stepping stone towards greater cooperation. I planned to come to Earth, and propose a trilateral agreement in which the Kingdoms would provide further troops to make a final push against the Human Liberation Front, Humanity would agree to create a multi-species military academy, and measures would be taken to allow the Equestrian nation to neutrally arbitrate a series of inquiries and panels to ensure nothing like Vancouver ever happens again." Celestia glanced up, and blinked slowly as she continued. Fyrenn returned her gaze without flinching. "After what Sildinar has told me? I also feel something needs to be done about the children you rescued. But the way in which you went about all this has, paradoxically in your eyes I imagine, hindered their chances at a better future. There was nothing wrong with attacking these subversives. Where you erred was in executing officers, and politicians, without trial. Had you taken prisoners, shared information, and allowed Human justice to run its course, we would not be in this situation... But now?" The solar monarch snorted, and shook her head. "Now you've put the Human government in a terrible position. Surely as a career soldier, you studied Earth's war history. Do you remember nothing of 'Victor's Justice?' Did your people learn no lessons at Versailles? Humiliation is an exceedingly dangerous weapon. You can't accurately judge its future effects, nor potential for blowback. You've directly damaged the United Earth Government's credibility and standing, at a time of critical pressure and mounting instability." Celestia rose, and began to pace slowly as she continued. "You showed them up, made them look like nothing more than figureheads. Maybe in some ways revealed the truth, in too harsh a light. In doing so, you have taken an issue with gray areas, and room for debate... And you made it into something charged, immediate, and polarizing. You did exactly what any other member of your kind would have done in your position, and that *frightens* me!" Fyrenn chuckled grimly, and humorlessly, sitting back on his haunches and pinching the bridge of his beak between a thumb and index talon. "We're not subtle creatures, ma'am. We see something unjust, and we have no choice but to handle it as warriors. It is our identity." Celestia held up a hoof, and tilted her head slightly. "I refuse to accept the implied concept in that statement; That your identity as a warrior race precludes your leaders from learning how to be subtle, diplomatic, and cautious, when billions of lives hang in the balance. You say you do not want to be a leader? That in and of itself is part of what makes you naturally qualified. Circumstances have made you influential, and you do not have the option to lay that aside." The red Gryphon raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head to the side. "Don't I? If I told you that when I leave this planet next, that I will not be returning after that... What would you say? If I said that I'm done. No more battles on this Earth on anyone's behalf. If I told you that I plan to find a place to put down roots, raise my daughter, and live a happy, fulfilled life as a citizen of my Kingdom... Keep our warrior identities far away from you, and your political project... How would that make you feel?" A silence born of shock hung heavily over the room. Celestia's expression was, for the most part, pure stunned surprise. Pain, disappointment, and even the tiniest hint of panic flitted almost-imperceptibly across the muscles of her jaw, and the cant of her ears. At long last, the Alicorn inhaled slowly, speaking with a deliberate manner that indicated she was choosing her words with utmost care. "I know you've never been afraid of me. Or at least, you never let my status and power have any sort of undue influence on your actions, as with the others of your kind... While that is, in a way, refreshing for me, it also makes you unpredictable in the most incredibly frustrating manner. I am an empathetic pragmatist trying to orchestrate the best possible outcome. For all allied species. You have a responsibility to maintain some level of involvement in that endeavor, because whether you like it or not? You are already inextricably *involved!*" Fyrenn leaned forward, staring across the table, narrowing his eyes, and inclining his head slightly. "What do you want from me? I can't imagine you diverted from your planned route just to yell at me incessantly for doing what I felt was necessary. For doing the right thing, that nobody with investment in the status quo wanted to do. What is it you want to hear me say? Or see me do? As long as it isn't unreasonable, I have no objection. I do not want to be involved in politics, so I patently refuse. I just want to accomplish whatever is needed for you, and every other politician, to leave me and mine *alone* in peace." Celestia's expression turned downwards, and for the first time became completely clear. The monarch was visibly hurt, and Fyrenn felt a slight pang of regret at the effect of his words. The Alicorn sighed, and shook her head slowly. "I am... Sorry you feel that way. I believe we want the same outcomes in all this. I also believe that, if you would only accept it, you could play an important role in bringing three species closer together. My frustration is partially my own fault I suppose. I radically misjudged your state of mind. I thought some exposure to the situation... Object lessons in your effectiveness... Would sway you to take on a greater role. I was mistaken, and for that I have only myself to blame." Fyrenn sat back, cocked his head, and widened his eyes slightly as he spoke. "I see now... You assumed I was going to cling to a greater measure of my Human tendencies than I actually did in the long run... And you were relying on those to keep me grounded in the political sphere. To make me more pragmatic." Celestia looked away abruptly, causing Fyrenn to lean further forward, and lay his forelegs on the table as he continued. "You're right. You misjudged. I carry the important parts of my Humanity with me. Adaptability, species tolerance, and innate drives... But I never saw this 'needs of the many' crap as a built-in part of my Humanity. I'm happy to lay myself on a wire for innocents I'll never meet. I'm happy to lead sworn warriors into battle, knowing we may not come back. But I'm not willing to risk my family, let alone the youngest member in it, for the sake of political status quo. I'm certainly not about to allow the people who run this planet as a prison for the impoverished to get away with what they did. And I don't care if that means others die later as an indirect result. At least they die freer than before. The choice was not entirely mine in this case, after all." The Solar monarch snorted softly, and finally swiveled her head back to center. "Honestly? I'd hoped that you would become more than simply a warrior. And you have. But my mistake was in thinking anyone of your kind could ever be anything less than a warrior *first.* I projected the things I value about my species onto you, and hoped you'd change yours in ways that you can't." Celestia sighed, and dipped her head. "I see now that your identity as a warrior was only strengthened by the Conversion. And... While I still refuse to condone your behavior, I apologize for my miscalculation, and any misunderstanding it caused. I am not angry with you in spite of my disappointment. Only frustrated with the situation." Fyrenn leaned back, and exhaled slowly, trying to release some of his tension. "And... I'm sorry for being short with you. I have been under enormous pressure to bend in this direction, or that... And I am concerned mainly with the safety of my family. I'm not politically ambitious and I'm not interested in being anyone's 'new hope' except for Alyra. I mean no offence to you at all, I value your wisdom. Maybe you're even right about some of what I've done... But that doesn't change the facts. Nor my mind." The red Gryphon held up a claw, and raised an eyebrow. "That being said; I am willing to help in whatever way I can, right now, right here, for two reasons. The first is that I want those children downstairs to have a real shot at a normal existence. Off-planet." Fyrenn sighed, and his gaze softened as he continued. "The second is that I don't want our friendship, such as it may be, to end over this. Maybe you see me as only a friend of utility. I have no problem with that. But I think of you more as a mentor I don't deserve. I'm only a warrior. All I ever wanted to be was just a good, strong, upstanding fighter. You're different. You're a ruler. That comes with baggage I don't feel comfortable about... But your age also comes with wisdom." Celestia smiled slightly, for the first time, and blinked. "You have studied Aristotle. And here I sat believing most Humans had abandoned his concepts in favor of post-modern philosophers." The Alicorn tilted her head, and narrowed her eyes slightly. "There is still something about you that is different from your kind at large. Something new that the Human spirit brought along. Maybe I mischaracterized it at first, but it still stands to be of great benefit to us all. Of that I am still sure." She sighed once more, and glanced down at the table, before continuing. "Putting aside all else but the present; Yes. I want your help in doing something on behalf not only of these children, but all the orphans of this planet. They have fallen through the cracks for too long, and we are remiss if we do not put the resources we have to work on their behalf." Fyrenn nodded emphatically, and lightly thumped the table with a fisted claw. "On that, we can agree without any reservation. So I take it you have a plan?" Celestia nodded, and her expression once again fell slightly. She blinked for a moment, and exhaled sharply. "Yes. I have hopes for an adoption program that opens up Conversion for orphaned children who would otherwise be bound from the option by age-limitations. A way for the outcast and forgotten of this planet to find homes on ours. I have even begun to make political inroads and preparations. Several Councilors are ready to back initial legislation packages. But they have a new condition." The red Gryphon leaned forward once more, and raised an eyebrow as he waited for the proverbial second shoe to drop. The Alicorn exhaled again, and spoke slowly, in an even tone. "I've been directly and formally asked, by high ranking members of the Earthgov, to convince you to stand trial for your actions." Celestia raised a hoof as Fyrenn's face hardened, interjecting sharply to ensure her entire thought was heard before judgement was passed. "I fully understand that you can not be compelled to acquiesce by Human authority, due to your dual citizenship status. I also understand that I have no authority whatsoever to dictate your actions." The monarch paused to ensure Fyrenn was ready to listen, before continuing in a calmer tone. "I am simply asking you, as a friend, to do this. For the sake of the benefits it will bring about. You may not like politics... I can't entirely blame you all things considered... But facts are facts. Your cooperation here will directly pave the way for many, many other young ones to gain fathers and mothers." Fyrenn glanced out the window, and inhaled slowly, his ears flattening and his tail beginning to sweep back and forth in agitation. Celestia leaned forward, and pressed her request forward in both tone and expression. "I promise you. I give you my absolute word as a ruler; If you do this, I will bring about the results we both want to see. I am begging you to let me do this. Swallow your pride, however justified or unjustified it may be, and 'lay down on the wire,' as you put it." After a long, tense pause, Fyrenn turned his gaze back to the Equine, and sighed. "Give me specifics. I won't promise you anything without specifics." The Alicorn nodded and sat back slightly, ruffling her wings absently to place them in a more comfortable configuration. "They want to try you via your Earthgov citizenship, and Military standing, under the articles of your Uniform Code of Military Justice. A panel of Councilor oversight would be present, and the trial would be carried out by a military tribunal. The Council wants to avoid having to appoint a jury of peers, because your standing as a JRSF officer would require that jury be made up mostly of other Gryphons, who would be impossible to sway to a guilty verdict." Celestia leveled a hoof at Fyrenn, and narrowed her eyes slightly. "You must remember though; They have no power to physically punish you, or incarcerate you. The Accords protect your freedom, and your person, due to your status as a citizen of the Gryphon Kingdoms." Fyrenn nodded, and glowered, crossing his forelegs as he spoke. "Oh I grasp that... But I also understand that this is essentially a show-trial. They will do whatever they have to in order to get a public guilty verdict. Those officers will have been instructed, perhaps not in so many words, that if they fail to find in favor of the Earthgov, they will lose their positions and standings. It's not justice. It's a propaganda piece. They need to humiliate the image of me as a soldier in order to restore a faux image of authority to their office." Celestia paused, then nodded slowly. "Yes. And while I find that disgusting as well, unlike you I have fewer qualms about acquiescing. I play a long game, young one. You and I will both live to see this world vanish from existence. The very government seeking to put your perceived wrongdoings on display? Will cease to exist before your daughter is even old enough to hold high military office among your own kind. But between now and then, many Human lives will remain at risk if we do not allow Earthgov to restore some modicum of credibility, false though it be." Fyrenn snorted, and shook his head slowly. "I don't know what else you hope to accomplish, but it won't happen. If I agree to go before this tribunal? The results are not going to be what you expect. Not in the slightest." Celestia hung her head, and chuckled grimly, a note of melancholy tinging her words. "What have you done Fyrenn?" The red Gryphon smiled slightly, and raised an eyebrow. "I may not like to get caught up in politics, but I have learned a thing or two about how to give it a good solid face-slap when I need to get something done. Being a soldier teaches you how to cut red tape, and being around people like yourself teaches one how to be a deft manipulator. No offense." Celestia leaned forward, and placed both of her front hooves on the table. "What exactly have you done?" Fyrenn held out a claw, and gestured. "Riddle me this; Will your Councilors hold up their bargains if they don't get precisely the result they were hoping for?" The Alicorn nodded slowly, and cradled her forehead briefly with one hoof. "Yes... The interim goals we have set forth will be accomplished. But oh how I wish you had simply left things as they lay. The damage to good order and stability that you've caused, and are still causing, will resonate across the world for the rest of its lifespan. There was some chance to undo more than a small part of that damage if you had but allowed these fools who play at kingship to have their brief and vapid moment." The red Gryphon smirked, and snorted. "I have no patience for fools, nor false kings. So... I will agree to this, presuming you can handle the complication I've introduced." Fyrenn sat back, and smiled slightly. "Allow me to explain just *precisely* how much of a pain in the ass I am going to be today..."