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The screen shows a simple room with light grey, nearly white walls. It contains a chair with a thin cussion, seemingly not uncomfortable, but nevertheless free of any ornate features. Next to the chair is a small table with an inactive holosculpture.

A man steps into view and sits down. He is of average height and stature and his face shows a gentle, yet composed expression. On his nose sits a pair of glasses with a black rim and his mustache and beard are neatly cut. He tidies his plain, light grey clothes, lightly lays his hands atop one another in his lap, and looks into the camera.

Citizens of Gallia.

Today, I speak to everyone.
I speak to the citizens of the Gallic crown, many of whom try to live their lives as best they can.
I speak to the citizens of the Council, many of whom had to flee their homes all too recently.
I speak to the brave souls who currently fight for their freedom.
And I speak to the oppressed who give it their all, just to survive in this trying time of conflict and war.
I speak to everyone who is willing to listen. And all I ask for is that you hear my words in their fullness.

He reaches for his glasses and moves them just a bit further up his nose.

The crown is failing. Many see it. Some deny it. To those who are suffering the fallout, I offer my deepest condolences. It becomes clear that, in order for Gallia to survive, it must adapt. We, its people, must adapt.

He looks to the table and activates the holostatue. Its light spreads and the room is clad in a blue hue. The statue shows the destroyed wrecks of Gallic capital ships and the remains of dozens of fighters. The holo images fade into one another every few seconds. Without taking his eyes off this display of destruction, the man continues speaking.

The past years have shown us what the crown wills. They have shown us that the king‘s mind is set on conquest. On destruction. On the anihilation of those who oppose him. He is stretching the house far beyond what is healthy for the people.
And for that, he is willing to let others pay the ultimate price.

The images shift and now show the corpses of royal navy pilots, still hovering inside or near their shattered cockpits.

He is hellbent on increasing the house‘s territories, no matter the cost. And a man who cares not for his most loyal subjects is not a man I can call my king.

The man with the gentle face deactivates the holosculpture. With the images, the blue hue also vanishes, leaving the room plain.

I would rather see no king than this.

He looks back into the camera, his voice as calm as ever.

I, myself, once was a marine in the royal navy. I fought their fights. I fired their weapons. I commited their destruction. With every victory in the Taus and beyond, I buried friends. With every station we took, I lost a bit of myself, when we were ultimately tasked to purge those who remained. And when Leeds burned, I gave up on redemption.

I left the marines. I deserted. I saw my worth as a human dashed to pieces, like the remains of those I had helped conquer.

Today, I speak to everyone.
Today, I come to tell you that the worth of a human being is based on their actions. I have come to reclaim my worth.
And today, I offer each and every one of you the same.
Each and every one of us has value and worth, even if we don‘t see it ourselves. We can reclaim our honor and our lives from those who care not for us, the people of the house of Gallia.
We, its people, are the only ones who can raise eachother high.
Nobody else will do it for us. In this sector of space, we must be our own support.
Some of the most intelligent minds of the whole of Gallia have come together and found a solution.
It isn‘t easy, but it is simple. If the crown refuses to reign for the people, then the people must reign for the people.

The man looks over and touches a different button on the holosculpture. This time, it springs alive in a pleasant orange, bringing a warm and gentle colour to the nearly white walls of the room. An intricate insignia is slowly rotating atop the emitters. He looks back into the camera.

I am Berger Guérin, member and pilot of the Action révolutionnaire conseillarde, a group of braves who strive to elevate the disempowered people of Gallia.
To those who try to live their lives as best they can, we offer a new life, free of the crown and its destructive whims.
To those who had to flee their homes, we offer a new home to settle and prosper.
To those who currently fight for their freedom, we offer our support.
And to those who try to survive in this trying time of conflict and war, we offer a safe haven.
We speak to everyone who is willing to listen. And we hope that you will speak to us.
Together, we seek to live a life based on facts, not propaganda or fiction. We are looking for equality amongst fellow humans. And we offer to bring Gallia together under our flag as a democratic nation of the people, for the people.

A gentle smile forms on Berger‘s face and he spreads his arms slightly without raising them.

We welcome all those who long for a Gallia without war.
We welcome all those who wish to be free from the influence of the warring king.
We welcome every one who wishes to be equal to their superior as well as those whom they lead.
And to all those who have lost their belief in themselves, we offer redemption.

As he speaks those last words, the insignia morphs into the shape of a Council battleship. The room dims until only the holosculpture is visible and, after a few seconds, the video feed terminates. All that remains is a simple invitation:

Join The Cause; Of The People, For The People

Ami, I did not catch your name there;

Mine is Étienne, I write to you under the Étendard Noir of the Maquis. Many of your words speak to me, and I am greatly refreshed that such a movement is gathering wind among the Council, if that is what is happening.
For your condemnation of the Royaume's imperialist ways, you will find no disagreement here. The wretched dynasty does appear to be coming apart at the seams, and we welcome it.
And I greatly value your words of the value of each human being, based on action. I can consider that one of our guiding principles as well.

However, we do not believe that the solution lies in the creation of a new, ideal state in Gallia itself or elsewhere. We believe the very concept must be destroyed, and abandoned. I have seen the tyranny of the monarchies in Gallia and Bretonia, the corruption of the capitalist oligarchic Republic of Liberty, and the confusion of whatever manner of government Kusari believes itself to have this week. And some day, I am certain I will become more familiar with whatever broken system the Rheinlanders employ.

All of this has lead me to believe that the very concept of society organized on a large scale is flawed. Here in the Étendard, we oppose it categorically. As all these....failing systems destroy themselves, we intend to help them along. Everything static must be burned, and from the ashes the true liberty of humankind can be effected. That is our vision.

But while we may have ideological differences, I like the way you speak and I do believe you have an important vision as well. I don't know where you are steering your boat yet, but I will oblige myself to take note and offer assistance. We may yet have work to be done together.

-Étienne

Tenseiken

Étendard Noir