Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Trixie's Bar (Everyone welcome)

He was happily drinking some Fenrisian ale.

The hubris and commotion that stirred within the tabernaculum stirred the Lord General's attention after receiving a thorough briefing from stationed guardsmen and logis strategos officers upon the going-on's. The Lord General viewed it as little more than a weak and malicious attempt to spurn the loyalties of an otherwise outstanding guardswoman, nevertheless, it seemed the matter had gathered enough momentum to demand his address and so the Lord General arose.



" Honoring one's duty to the Emperor is the prime impetus for joining the Imperial Guard, in doing so we acknowledge the reality that our lives are defined by struggle and that in taking up arms we embark on giving a worthwhile meaning to our deaths in a universe wherein lives hold little weight and are extinguished in their countless multitudes with each passing moments by a measure of planets. To see something else beyond this is to open one's mind to heresies and corruption. "

He turned to face Arpatia, his tone quite serious, his stature firm and his mannerism reassuring

" My reason for taking up the mantle of Lord General was to ensure that the capacity of those wielding arms to do their duty was facilitated and accomplished by any means necessary, I am worthy neither of honorifics nor servitude nor affections, the greatest gift unto me is a soldier who is willing to see great things accomplished even if this means giving their lives. I prefer to lead by camraderie and benevolence as I served on those very same battlefields as a commissar, a luxury most in the schola are not afforded, so in truth, I do feel something for my soldiers but it is eclipsed by an immeasurable magnitude by the oaths I swore to serve the Emperor and it is not my sole recourse. We are soldiers and professionals first, and we must reconcile ourselves that this is the path we have chosen for ourselves and it is a choice made once and for all, for there is no word for defeat nor retreat in the vocabulary of the Imperial Guard. "

He looked at Arpatia and offered a salute, before becoming resolute

" I value you because you are a good soldier, because you had the fortitude and the dignity to carry yourself into the Imperial Guard and you proved yourself in a baptism of fire, life gave you no quarter, no reason not to fall into fel-debaucheries or falsehoods which are far easier and more appealing to flawed mortal souls and minds and yet you heeded the Emperor. It is the Emperor who is worthy of your love, it is he who laid down his life so the countless billions could prosper, even if you do not belong to the grim darkness of the far future, you will atleast acknowledge that true love, true affections are defined by sacrifice... and it is The Emperor... who sacrificed himself unto you. As for myself, I am a soldier like you, given a duty to perform and I am not immune to flaws as all of us are... I expect that were I to fail in my duties then you would have the courtesy to grant me the same mercy as I would to you if I saw that you were fallen. "

Aleksandr paused.

" Guardswoman Arpatia, make no mistakes, you have the makings and the potential to be an exceptional soldier therefore I saw it fitting to give you a chance and to see to it that you had the means to hone yourself. But make no mistake... I do not make distinctions of fleeting emotion nor subtle affections in my duty, this is service, it is what the Emperor demands of us. Your courtesies are appreciated however they are not necessary, I have only three demands of my soldiers; hold the line, honor the emperor and most importantly win I hope I live to see the day one amongst my own ranks has a chest of medals more expansive than mine, but that day is yet to come, till then, Emperor willing, I am Lord General and shall remain so until my duty to the Emperor is done. "

He then returned to his chair, lighting his smoking pipe

" The principle weapon of those who would seek your ruin is not blade nor bolter, it is deception and doubt, to play and scheme your mind in the subtleties of diffidence, such that your mind is spun like a strand of yarn on malicious spindle. I can teach a guardsman battle formations and tactics, I can teach them the intricacies of combat, but what I cannot teach them and what they must decide for themselves is the strength of their faith and I have yet to seen a guardsman meet a favorable end from embarking upon such paths. I recognize and respect you for the exceptional talent you have shown thus far, in your fervor and zeal to serve the Emperor and in your path to earn your place amongst the Emperor's finest but "

He was quite firm as he stated what was to come,

" I do not love you, I admire you for your dedication to your duty. It is the Emperor who loves you, because when you face down the hordes of the xeno, the heretic and the unclean and you venture unto places where there is no hope nor chatter, it is the Emperor who will see you through not me. My first love was battle and I am married to war and even these come second in my duty to the Emperor. You must be willing to forego and be hated, much as he was with complete and utter solace in knowing that the hubris of the unworthy does not merit an inkling of your attention.

You must search within yourself for the reasons you serve and if you should find anything other than your compulsion to do your duty, to honor The Emperor's sacrifice... then I will do you a final mercy in saying this on account of our friendship, resign I will not tolerate failure when the tide comes in strong, when we are before the storms, when we are face to face with annihilation and when everyone's first instinct is to merely survive and see their needs met. We are soldiers Sergeant Arpatia... We... Are... Soldiers. And if you are a soldier and your heart holds true to duty, stay, and Emperor willing make a name for yourself, let more be inspired by your example and aspire to go into our books as heroine saint. Don't do it for me, do it for yourself, do it for The Emperor.

I must truly commend you, I have never met a being with such a profound dedication to being vapid and pestiferously spiteful, curse Slaanesh for your mouth and Tzeentch for having provided the intellect to string three phrases together, your attempts at being irritating are so brilliantly executed that I am sure even a noise marine would want to go deaf and blind. Now I know for certain you sired the jester, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as it is said.

Sue kind of regretted suggesting that Ami ask the general about his feelings.

"What. A. Windbag!" She stuffed her face with candy.

"Ay girl! What's happening? Want some candy?"