Can't Touch Hudson
28 Oct 2021Lily Flemmon
Zachary Hudson hired my dad to help with the ambush against Yuri Grom. How he managed to pull that wretched-minded soldier out of his Kumo torture hole, I don’t know. But I passionately signed myself up to fight for EG Union, even though Grom is a bit enthusiastic about the need for might and that’s definitely still a painfully sensitive topic for me, and I’m not on board with that bit.And then Grom escaped, I got my special missile racks and credits, and then things just… went back to the way they were like nothing happened. Like the whole galaxy never knew Hudson pulled such a nasty move. Back to “debating” over the PDB like the right to privacy is even up for debate, especially in the Federation. It may be interesting how the PDB’s first big bust was a terror ring in support of a cause pretty similar to Hudson, but It’s clear that the PDB isn’t fighting terror- it’s fighting terror only if it isn’t coming from Hudson.
So I pledged my allegiance to Felicia Winters, and then I realized just how small I am against this. I can barely make any difference as a supporter. Or maybe I just haven’t found a greater cause that I can really get behind.
So there I was, in the cockpit of my Dolphin in a hangar at Balandin Gateway. I really wasn’t up for socializing at the moment, enough that I wasn’t even in the mood for the hangar lobby. The galaxy has so many people and frankly, that’s basically what was bothering me. I had just delivered 10 units of propaganda for Felicia Winters and it was really hitting me hard just how small of an influence I have on the galaxy, and how Zachary Hudson has such an enormous following, even after all he’s done. How can people be so blind? And how can it be so daunting to even begin to give them a vision of what the galaxy is like? I don’t like the Imperials, and how they openly oppress their people, but it’s how Hudson does it without people even realizing, manipulating and gaslighting the majority of the Federal population that makes him far worse. And enough that I’m not sitting in my pilot’s seat, I’m laying on a soft blanket on the floor of my cockpit, holding on to a plush leaf that Ronni gave me a year ago.
I sometimes read the published logs of other Commanders, but I’ve never really found any Commanders that seemed like I could be friends with them. But something in me told me to get up and give it a look. Or, maybe just sit against the wall of the cockpit and pull it up in my hardsuit. Not up for the helm seat at the moment.
And right above my last entry, there was one from a “Commander Meowers.” I hadn’t seen that name before. I took a look, and it seemed like I was reading a short update on a long story. What did she mean by “brain gears?” She lost her pilot’s license? My head was full of questions, and I read her previous entry.
Oh. She’s… Meowers is… making a difference. Can’t touch Hudson, still, but... she touched me. She worked wonders for Jacqueline too, and who knows how many others.
I re-read her latest entry, and while she can probably handle herself in Marshmallow, maybe I could get in touch with her and offer my help. I’ll probably get myself a Challenger and outfit it for a support role with repair limpets, ample cargo and recharge sequence beams. Maybe I’ll learn from the best. And while she’s a damn good pilot from what I can tell, that’s not what I mean. I mean the best helper.
But for now, it’s back to Chilton, because I think the first thing I’m going to do is send Meowers a bag of herbs. She’s headed into an unknown situation, and it sounds like she needs a good reminder that she’s not alone.
[EDIT] Oh, right, my logs are public too. Meowers, if you’re reading this, uh… what do I even say?
You know what? First off, I’m gonna say thank you. For everything you’ve done for so many people, probably way more than I know about.
And second, if you want to come visit me at Chilton while I’m, uh, deciding on herbs… send me a message before you fly over?
Yes, this is awkward. But hey, that’s how we know we’re not like Hudson. That manipulative demon of a man is never the slightest bit awkward and it gives me the creeps.