Erlea Zabala (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
commanderzabala) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
concoursec2013-02-08 02:02 pm
commanderzabala) wrote in concoursec2013-02-08 02:02 pm
Mandatory Assembly, 1800
Characters: Commander Zabala and, well, everyone else
Location: The Quad
Rating: PG
Open/Closed/Finished: Open
Summary: Commander Zabala has called a mandatory assembly, once everyone has returned from the Island and is capable of listening.
After the end of the day on the Island and the expenditure of one final burst of Garden's healing resources, the residents of the mercenary institution had the questionable delight of filing into the Quad for an assembly. On the stage, waiting for them to all settle down, stood Garden's favorite Commander, watching them all quietly.
Once they all settled in, she spoke.
"You have all endured weeks of what I know has been torment, injury, unpleasantness, and hardship. During the course of it, the vast majority of you have been brought to a state of injury so severe that without a Junctioned GF to protect you, you would be dead."
She looked over them, once more, letting the pause build long enough to have meaning.
"I am sorry for the necessity, but I am not sorry for what has happened. You all know, now, that the GFs will protect your life. I implore you -- from this moment on, do not remove your Junctions. Do not surrender that protection. Have faith in it, and the GFs that provide it.
"In recent months, Balamb Garden has become aware of a group of offworlders that, rather than accepting the Headmaster's offer of welcome, protection, training, and, we all hope, acceptance, have chosen to carve out a home for themselves on this world through use of their powers and any offworld items they can obtain. This group is responsible for attacks against the Ragnarok during our data-transport mission, as well as actions carried out against other major powers. This group, which has named itself Sol Invictus, has by virtue of its current strength, essentially forced all military-political entities to acknowledge it diplomatically.
"That includes Balamb Garden. It is critical you understand this -- Sol Invictus is at the very minimum as powerful as this institution. Because its members show no qualms or restraint about using their powers, artifacts, and technology, they are likely far stronger than us, and any individual member is likely to be more capable than a SeeD based on their resources.
"In short, a faction that very well may oppose us has the strength to overwhelm us in direct conflict. I hope you can now understand a little better the purpose of this training exercise.
She paused again, allowing this to sink in.
"Many of you will recall that some months ago, Balamb Garden conducted a transport mission, during which Garden itself came under attack by Galbadia, and Esthar, Galbadia, and Sol Invictus, as we realize now, attempted to intercept our SeeDs and the item they were transporting. At this point, I may now explain that further.
"That mission was for our own benefit. In concert with Trabia Garden, our transport mission was a deception, meant to bring the data and offworld information collected by Fishermans Horizon to us. It worked spectacularly; we have had these intervening months to study the data and complete the research involved.
"We now understand precisely why certain creatures become Guardian Forces when Time Compression brings them to this world."
Zabala holds up a hand to forestall any outcry. "We do not understand the process fully, nor do we have a way to reverse it. And I apologize to those of you who have companions you would like to see physical and embodied once again, but we will not be pursuing this research. Right now, Balamb Garden is the only institution in the world which understands and teaches the methods necessary to Junction, summon, and utilize GFs. That means any offworlder who comes to this world with an animal or guardian transformed into a GF cannot use it.
"I can imagine the danger, the devastation, if these creatures were restored to those who would not hesitate to use them for their own ends. This information cannot be trusted to anyone. Including ourselves. We have the only copy of this data; Fishermans Horizon has agreed to destroy theirs, not wishing to be a target of the inevitable attempts to obtain it. And there will be attempts, Balamb.
"Before you ask why we do not destroy the information ourselves, let me answer that. On the one hand, no one will believe we did so. On the other hand, this research and data could prove crucial, in the future, to returning you where you came from. The Headmaster believes, as do I, that the increased danger is worth the greater hope that someday we can set all this chaos right."
Another pause, to let them consider this, to let everything she had told them sink in.
"I have told you everything I know for a fact, now. But before I allow questions, allow me to finish with one sentiment." Zabala spread her hands, as if to encompass all of them. She wouldn't doll this sentiment up as nicey-nice or happy-lovey, but that didn't make it less sincere. "Thank you. Thank you to all the cadets and SeeDs who ventured out into the field, trusting that you would return. Thank you to the SeeDs who gave of themselves so selflessly to rescue others, and to the cadets who did their best to shoulder the burdens of their comrades. Thank you to everyone who came together to survive these three weeks of hell. That is our strength, Balamb. When crisis comes upon us in the future, we will meet it with that strength.
"Now, then," she said, relaxing slightly from her rigid stance to signal that her monologue had ended. "Questions, if you wish."
Location: The Quad
Rating: PG
Open/Closed/Finished: Open
Summary: Commander Zabala has called a mandatory assembly, once everyone has returned from the Island and is capable of listening.
After the end of the day on the Island and the expenditure of one final burst of Garden's healing resources, the residents of the mercenary institution had the questionable delight of filing into the Quad for an assembly. On the stage, waiting for them to all settle down, stood Garden's favorite Commander, watching them all quietly.
Once they all settled in, she spoke.
"You have all endured weeks of what I know has been torment, injury, unpleasantness, and hardship. During the course of it, the vast majority of you have been brought to a state of injury so severe that without a Junctioned GF to protect you, you would be dead."
She looked over them, once more, letting the pause build long enough to have meaning.
"I am sorry for the necessity, but I am not sorry for what has happened. You all know, now, that the GFs will protect your life. I implore you -- from this moment on, do not remove your Junctions. Do not surrender that protection. Have faith in it, and the GFs that provide it.
"In recent months, Balamb Garden has become aware of a group of offworlders that, rather than accepting the Headmaster's offer of welcome, protection, training, and, we all hope, acceptance, have chosen to carve out a home for themselves on this world through use of their powers and any offworld items they can obtain. This group is responsible for attacks against the Ragnarok during our data-transport mission, as well as actions carried out against other major powers. This group, which has named itself Sol Invictus, has by virtue of its current strength, essentially forced all military-political entities to acknowledge it diplomatically.
"That includes Balamb Garden. It is critical you understand this -- Sol Invictus is at the very minimum as powerful as this institution. Because its members show no qualms or restraint about using their powers, artifacts, and technology, they are likely far stronger than us, and any individual member is likely to be more capable than a SeeD based on their resources.
"In short, a faction that very well may oppose us has the strength to overwhelm us in direct conflict. I hope you can now understand a little better the purpose of this training exercise.
She paused again, allowing this to sink in.
"Many of you will recall that some months ago, Balamb Garden conducted a transport mission, during which Garden itself came under attack by Galbadia, and Esthar, Galbadia, and Sol Invictus, as we realize now, attempted to intercept our SeeDs and the item they were transporting. At this point, I may now explain that further.
"That mission was for our own benefit. In concert with Trabia Garden, our transport mission was a deception, meant to bring the data and offworld information collected by Fishermans Horizon to us. It worked spectacularly; we have had these intervening months to study the data and complete the research involved.
"We now understand precisely why certain creatures become Guardian Forces when Time Compression brings them to this world."
Zabala holds up a hand to forestall any outcry. "We do not understand the process fully, nor do we have a way to reverse it. And I apologize to those of you who have companions you would like to see physical and embodied once again, but we will not be pursuing this research. Right now, Balamb Garden is the only institution in the world which understands and teaches the methods necessary to Junction, summon, and utilize GFs. That means any offworlder who comes to this world with an animal or guardian transformed into a GF cannot use it.
"I can imagine the danger, the devastation, if these creatures were restored to those who would not hesitate to use them for their own ends. This information cannot be trusted to anyone. Including ourselves. We have the only copy of this data; Fishermans Horizon has agreed to destroy theirs, not wishing to be a target of the inevitable attempts to obtain it. And there will be attempts, Balamb.
"Before you ask why we do not destroy the information ourselves, let me answer that. On the one hand, no one will believe we did so. On the other hand, this research and data could prove crucial, in the future, to returning you where you came from. The Headmaster believes, as do I, that the increased danger is worth the greater hope that someday we can set all this chaos right."
Another pause, to let them consider this, to let everything she had told them sink in.
"I have told you everything I know for a fact, now. But before I allow questions, allow me to finish with one sentiment." Zabala spread her hands, as if to encompass all of them. She wouldn't doll this sentiment up as nicey-nice or happy-lovey, but that didn't make it less sincere. "Thank you. Thank you to all the cadets and SeeDs who ventured out into the field, trusting that you would return. Thank you to the SeeDs who gave of themselves so selflessly to rescue others, and to the cadets who did their best to shoulder the burdens of their comrades. Thank you to everyone who came together to survive these three weeks of hell. That is our strength, Balamb. When crisis comes upon us in the future, we will meet it with that strength.
"Now, then," she said, relaxing slightly from her rigid stance to signal that her monologue had ended. "Questions, if you wish."