Military Democracy

[Petitioner]

Battleship Klaxon - All-Hands Meeting Minutes
11/16/833 AS

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Dutifully—eagerly, even, perhaps alarmingly so—the crew gathered in the mess, packed ass-to-elbow, with many sitting or standing on top of tables to get a look at the blackboard, and at Howe. There he stood, still in his orange and grey uniform, cutting an almost fatherly appearance as he looked over his assembled men with an indiscernable expression. It was finally time to see how strong these new bonds were.

Howe picked up the same piece of chalk he'd used three years ago, and blew the dust off the board. After the last meeting, the board had remained where it was, almost becoming an artifact to the crew representing the spirit which animated them all, from the hardened Legion veterans to the recent ex-Zoner recruits. He began to write, once again marking out columns and labelling them. Only two of them. "PLATFORM" and "THE EDGE". As he finished, he turned back to the crew as an immediate understanding fell over the room.

"It is time for us to make a pivotal decision.

"Three years ago, we voted to resupply here, capitalizing upon the generosity of the Exiled Party. In that time, our supplies have been constant, and many of us have formed friendships and loyalties, yet our dedication to our cause has not wavered. Now, we are at a crucial juncture. Our personal ideologies may vary, yet all of us believe in what this very ship's stars and stripes were originally intended to symbolize. We must now decide how to carry this legacy forward."

Here, he paused, and tapped at the PLATFORM column on the board.

"We may confine our struggle, in essence, to the Houses—to fight alongside the good people who believe in freedom as we do, setting aside our differences in understanding what 'freedom' itself means." An allusion to the Platform's anarchism, a sentiment shared in truth by few among the crew.

He tapped at the THE EDGE column.

"Or, we may struggle alone, becoming the defenders of our ideals at the forefront of Humanity's expansion, until such time as we believe ourselves to have the strength necessary to return to our homeland.

"What is clear is that a decision must be made. We must reach our internal concord, such that we may stand for what is right against the world."

With that, Howe stood aside, waiting for the deliberation among the crew to begin.