Ravens of Eternity

320 A Question of Equality

The sky above was a light and beautiful bright blue as yellow-green grass waved lightly in the wind all around. The sounds of revelry filled the air as the entirety of the Corvus Republic celebrated their recent victory.

They had landed their ships on one of the many vast, grassy valleys on the planet and thoroughly enjoyed the raw, unmolested nature that surrounded them. Light winds swooped down across the rolling hills, and blessed their celebrations with a truly comforting breeze.

Multiple large groups gathered around the various campfires and cooking depots that encircled a large rock that protruded from the ground. Sizzling on each of those flames were various cuts of meat, skewered vegetables, and roasted tubers.

The delicious scent of it caused everyone’s stomachs to rumble in hunger.

Claire was among the dozen or so who tended to the food. Though she didn’t cook them herself – she didn’t exactly have the skills to do so. Instead, she made sure to hand off the food to everyone around.

She also checked on the Serving Drones that floated all around, and ensured that their stock of drinks were topped up. And if they weren’t, she ordered them to go restock at the Raven’s Refuge parked nearby.

Even though they were all supposed to be relaxing and celebrating, she worked hardest to make sure that everyone in the Republic was well-fed and happy and deeply satisfied. And maybe a little bit intoxicated.

Nearby, Xylo and a few other musicians in the republic had set up a mini stage, where they broke out their instruments and belted out tune after tune. And despite the fact that they were all a little rusty, and a little sloppy, and a little inebriated, everyone around them had tons of fun.

They certainly drew a crowd who sang or danced along with their music.

.....

On the other side of them were a number of small gaming stations, most of which were occupied with the youngest in the Republic. Though a few also had older members with hard, thoughtful looks on their faces as they vied for victory.

One one such table, Lucifer stared through the holographic pieces and observed the group of people who were acting as hir opponent. Their attention, however, was focused solely on the board in front of them. They were all in a heated debate about what move to make next, as though a single mistake was disastrous.

The group ultimately voted on what move to make, at which point someone actually adjusted the piece.

Lucifer, in turn, moved a single piece just a tiny amount, then gave the turn back to hir opponents. With a wicked grin attached.

That tiny move caused an uproar between them, and they launched into another furious debate as to what move was next.

Amal sat off to the side and sighed deeply as she stared up into the sky. She took another sip of her drink, whose potence caused her head to swim slightly. Her thoughts turned to Jionna, and to everyone on the farm.

She missed her family dearly.

Then she turned her gaze down and looked at every member of the Corvus Republic. Then smiled as she watched many members stuff their faces with delicious food.

Kali came over and sat down next to her. She nudged her with an elbow, almost a petition for her to get rid of her rather melancholy smile. Then she shoved a plate full of food on her lap and took a hefty drink out of her cup.

Amal laughed happily, and leaned on Kali before she grabbed a skewer lined with vegetables, and took a nice, healthy bite.

Raijin and a few others were enjoying a bit of flying a half dozen meters above all the festivities. Her entire crew had designed their own assistant antigrav drones and were simply enjoying their creations.

And got some valuable test data as a bonus.

They invited everyone else to take a ride and join them, which many certainly lined up for. The youngest of them started doing tricks in the air, and sped around spinning, rolling, looping. That sort of thing.

Though Raijin herself didn’t quite fly around like that. She simply leaned back and soaked up the warmth of actual sunlight. Since the majority of civilized systems used artificial suns to regulate cycles, basking in the solar radiation of a real one became a rarity and a luxury.

Just about everyone was reveling in the moment, and thoroughly enjoying their lives. For most, it wasn’t just that they found freedom from their old, miserable lives. It wasn’t even that their new lives gave them back agency and choice in their futures.

It was mostly because for the first time in a long time, they felt happy, safe, and secure. For some, it was the first time they felt it at all. One was so overwhelmed by it that he fell to his knees and wept through half of it.

At the very height of everyone’s merriment, Eva hopped up on the rock in the very center of everything. She looked out across the crowd, and grinned widely at what she saw. It truly gave her great joy to see everyone’s merriment.

It was clear that they were all completely lost in their revelry.

Hovering alongside her was her EyeCast, along with a sonic emitter, which helped project her voice behind her.

“Hey everyone!” she yelled. “Hey! Sorry to interrupt! I just wanna say something crazy quick, alright? Then we can get back to it.”

People all around began to hush the others around them, even as the band stopped playing their instruments.

“Thanks!” Eva continued. “I’ll be quick – I promise!

“First, I really wanna thank everyone and congratulate everyone. We completed our first agreement with a Major House!”

Everyone cheered right back at her, but she continued as it died down.

“That was really big for us. Really, really big. And I mean it. Can’t get much better than getting another Major House to vote for our ratification. I know, I know. There’s over seven hundred houses out there, and the de Jardins and the Gerveaux are just two of them.

“I get it, we’ve got a ways to go. We’re in for a real long flight.

“We’ve got hundreds more to talk to, hundreds more to help. This was just the first of those hundreds. But don’t you worry. We’ll show every one of them, or well at least half of them exactly what we’re made of, yeah?”

More cheers erupted from the Republic around her. And once again, when it died down, she continued her mini-speech.

“‘Course, we didn’t just get their vote,” she said. “They also opened up a bunch of national amenities to us. We’ve got access to their academies and libraries. Their shipyards and markets. And of course, their big, fat ledgers.”

A wave of approving murmurs and light chuckles spread throughout the gathering.

“Which leads me to the real point I wanted to make,” Eva continued. “Our prosperity as a nation. Not just how much we’ve got in our ledger as a whole, but how we’re gonna grow and thrive together.

“First things first, the Corvus Republic’s gonna re-invest half of everything she earns back into herself. Into the fleet. Into you. Maintenance and repairs and supplies and food and medicine. Anything and everything we need to live our lives.

“And that might change a bit here and there. Honestly depends on if we’re having a lean year or a rich year. Or if we need to expand, and more people join the Republic. Might be more, might be less. But no matter what, everyone gets everything they need. Sound good?”

More murmurs spread throughout. Many all around nodded their heads in agreement.

“Which leaves whatever’s left over,” said Eva. “All of that gets split up evenly between every single one of us, no matter what. You and me and everyone else get paid the same, always.”

This stunned many of the people all around. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

Split evenly? Truly?

“And I know what some of you are saying,” Eva continued with a slight laugh. “I can hear you murmuring about it from over here... And, look. It’s like this. During the last operation, roughly 20 to 30 of us were directly involved.

“We used our skills, risked our lives, and completed a tough obligation. That’s true. We contributed a great deal. So why wouldn’t we pay ourselves more? Why wouldn’t we take a larger share? Makes sense, right?

“It doesn’t to me.

“Just because we risked the most doesn’t mean that the rest of you had nothing to contribute. Some of you helped maintain our ships. Others sourced our equipment, and qualified them for use. Others fed those of us who fought.

“Some entertained us with stories and songs. Some gave us a shoulder to lean on, or cry on. Some gave us their drinks to wet our lips with.”

Eva spun around the rock as she spoke to every single member of the Corvus Republic. She made an honest attempt to make eye contact with every single one of them, no matter how far away they were.

And like when she spoke with the de Jardins, she made sure to use a firm voice filled with authority. And also a bottomless amount of warmth.

“Every single one of us did something to pitch in,” she continued. “And we can’t stress enough just how valuable that is. Every single one of us is completely equal. And no amount of risks taken or skills practiced or knowledge kept changes that.

“And there might come a time when it’s your turn to shine. When it’s your skills and knowledge and risk taking that impresses the next house. It’s not all shadows and bullets and secrets for us. Maybe it’ll be about sharing our medicine. Or putting on a show. Or telling a story.

“At that point it would be us front-liners who’d be doing nothing, right? You’d call us freeloaders, probably.”

A wave of light chuckles and laughter erupted from all around.

“Listen,” she continued. “I’m not talking hypothetically here. Every single member of the Republic has something to offer to the greater galaxy, even if you don’t believe it about yourself. Every single one of us has immense value, and I want you to hold that truth deep in your heart.

“And also know that we of the Republic will do our best to make that part of you shine. Because we truly are nothing without each other. We fly stronger, together, always. It’s our collective strength that does the heavy lifting, not just one or two or ten.

“We’ll lift each other up higher and higher up to blinding heights, now and for eternity!”

She lifted her fist up in the air as she finished her speech, and was immediately joined by everyone else around her. The entire Corvus Republic cheered into the air as they raised their fists towards the sky in joyous solidarity.

Eva’s words filled them all with boundless energy, along with the courage and temerity to challenge the galaxy itself.