Tales des Révélateurs

[Cat]

Sender: Damien Germain, Capitaine des Révélateurs
Recipients: None (Personal Record)
Message Type: Audio Only (Date Unknown)
Encryption Strength: None (Personal Record)

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I've been here before. It's funny; it's as if history teaches us nothing. We think things important in the moment; but they quickly become footnotes, or get forgotten entirely soon after. And then, once history repeats itself in the weirdest of ways, we are none the wiser.

Nowadays, who would even remember some Border Worlds squabble between Grand Marechal Lilith LaCroix and Lord Enzo du Sable? Those who went into active duty during our war in Sirius won't even recognize the names. But back in the moment, that felt important: a squabble leading to an entire Royal Navy battlegroup going rogue and getting scattered, only to re-emerge as members of the Gallic Underwrold. Of course, the King wielded so much power back then, that even an event of that magnitude was deemed negligible. And once the Tau Campaigns and the Conquest of Bretonia started, they eclipsed everything that had come before.

Here you go: years and experiences of countless people compressed in a couple of sentences. But to me, this was a large part of my youth. An Aspirant, fresh from the Academy, who chanced upon a Royal Navy patrol in Lorraine led by Lord du Sable himself. He treated me like an equal and brought me into the fold. Flying with them felt like where I belonged. But then the grinders of history and a couple of decisions above my paygrade saw us seeking refuge among the Brigands.

It's had to tell where exactly things went wrong. At first, it were my comrades whose persistence kept me going as well. But eventually, as our crew went their separate ways, I realized how far I had fallen... And just how much I missed Nevers and New Paris. Being less than a footnote in the whole du Sable/LaCroix debacle, I found some people who offered me a chance at redemption. The price didn't seem too steep at the time: absolute loyalty to the King and my commanding officer. That's how I got inducted into Escadron XXII, Les Révélateurs.

We can go further and compress the following events into words rather than sentences—even though they exacted a much heavier toll on both sides. The Glassing of Leeds, the Siege of New London, more squabbles between upstart powers, and hasty retreat from Fort Ansel on Bordeaux... Or Gaia as they call it once again. And after all of that, I may be finding myself in the same predicament as years before. The Royalists aren't quite welcome anywhere, even in a place they once protected and called home.

It all comes down to Command now. They might choose to side with the new regime, or disappear quietly into the Taus... Or, if the King commands it, I might end up right where I started: against the overwhelming odds, and denied a chance to see Gallia again. But the choice has been in someone else's hands for a long time.

Loyalty can be a steep price to pay. It might take us places we thought we'd left behind. If only for a briefest moment, just to make us reminisce.