Corruption and War
14 Apr 2021Galacius
Data Log Entry 1: The War with StraylightPerspective: Captain Galacius of the Imperial Corsairs
ooc: These are the events that lead up to the current war with Straylight Systems and Straylight Syndicate.
An alarm goes off in a room... beep beep beepbeep beep beep. An exhausted captain slowly wakes up from a deep slumber. She checks her datapad and turned off the alarm. The alarm was status reports from the war against Straylight. Annoyed at the war to begin with she gets out of her bed and looks out of the window. "All I see these days is just war, death, and a lack of empathy." With a heavy sigh, she walks towards her holo-computer and starts documenting what lead up to this madness.
What is war and why is there a need to instigate others to fight?
This is the question I ask my Corsairs during their first arrival in Flammarion Terminal in Daibais. Most Corsairs respond saying "war is something that's necessary to achieve a goal" while others respond saying it's a "tool to bully others". I look at the Corsairs saying it's necessary and ask them if it's necessary to watch civilians die, cargo ships being destroyed for the sake of "conflict", and whether newer pilots must suffer at the hands of an enemy they've never even heard of, let alone are prepared to face. War is something that's difficult to rationalize when the motivations behind it are enveloped in emotion. It's used as a tool to inflict massive amounts of damage whether it's someone's ego, a squadron's crew, or their assets. Those who start wars have their own agenda and idea of how much destruction they want to cause... no matter the consequences or the lives that are lost. When emotions are high that's when irrational decisions are made and mistakes that cost lives.
War is brought on by Corruption
War isn't something that's brought on by mutual agreement and most of the time malicious actors will use it as a weapon to destroy. These malicious actors whether fueled by revenge, their inflated egos, or just out of pure hatred, choose to act in a way that harms others. I would argue that somewhere down the line they view war as something to fill a void or to give them something that they lack. Somewhere down the line these individuals became fueled with negative emotions and corrupted with the power they have over others. They choose to use that power over others, to kill new pilots, to gawk at authority and law, and at the end of the day... all they do is cause suffering and pain. Just for that one small moment of pleasure they seek to inflict pain, by causing the death of others.
Imperial Corsairs. Straylight Systems, and Straylight Syndicate
Each day I get messages from other Captains, officers, and Corsairs. I get lovely messages about marriages in Lozin, requests to have dinner at the Viceroy's Mansion, and even messages from Corsairs asking how to fix their refrigerator because they put Thargoid Sensors in there. This was the norm until a few weeks ago when we were attacked by Straylight Systems. It was an unprovoked attack against one of our newer pilots. I remember reading my messages that day and it was full of confusion, battle logs, and private dispatches. It was no longer full of happiness and general activities - it was just pure chaos and the drive for revenge. We won that conflict and thought it was over. We negotiated for peace and set up a non-aggression pact.
We thought... it was over. We thought... we could go back to our normal. Unfortunately, the peace didn't last and two days ago, 12 APR 3307, we were attacked again. It was a repeat of what happened the first time where one of our newer pilots was ambushed and slaughtered. We knew the conflict was coming based on their Fleet Carrier movements and we tried to engage in diplomacy. We didn't want a war, but it somehow found us again. Another pilot killed in action, another death, and for what purpose? I looked at my messages again today, 14 APR 3307, and I just see battle plans, tactics, and strategy. I no longer see marriages, dinner requests, jokes, or even a follow-up on whether using duct tape on the refrigerator worked. Even out in the field I witnessed the slaughter first hand. I've watched as my newer pilots died in front of my eyes with their ship debris bombarding my shields. Never could I have imagined the sorrow I would endure watching the beam lasers from Straylight tear into their hull. We would take them down, but only after they wiped out the inexperienced. It seems our enemy was only interested in destroying our new blood and warping away at the sight of a fight. It seems as though this war is more focused on malicious actors exerting power over those who're defenseless. Out of anger, I took my remaining pilots and we went after Straylight in hyperspace, only for there to be no trace of them left.
Power and Crisis
It's rather unfortunate that Straylight continued their attack and broke the non-aggression pact. None of our pilots deserved it and nobody from their side deserves it either. Both sides are thrust into a war they didn't want, because those in power wanted to fill a void - to use their power to destroy. What they fail to realize is there's a cost to war and for each death there's a family that loses a husband, wife, or even a child. As a Captain, my sole responsibility is to ensure the survival of the squadron, regardless of what's at stake. We've tried diplomacy and I've tried defensive tactics. However, I see myself now playing into their hands, coordinating the offense, and leading the charge to harm their own people. Am I any different than them, because they attacked us first? It's difficult for me to really grasp the gravity of the situation and see the full impact. I am but one man, but am responsible for thousands and their families. Who am I to be the one to thrust those into the fire? What gives me that right? Perhaps I am the one who's corrupt after all...
With tears running down her eyes, she shuts down her holo-computer and walks towards her closet. She finds her pilot suit, grabs her Captain Insignia, and with another heavy sigh... she walks out of her room towards the hanger bay.