Scorched Earth Policies

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze tends to treat the Plaza as one stop on her patrol route through the Nexus - and usually the last stop, at that. Today, however, she’s not going anywhere else. She didn’t even stop to repair the burns and blade-marks that mar her white armor before she showed up, and she doesn’t sit now. When her boots hit the paving stones she strides a little way further in and just stands there, metal face locked in a frown. Her tiny silver Ghost materializes beside her shoulder, shell spinning as he studies his troubled Guardian.

"If you found out someone erased part of your history from the records, how would you deal with that?” she blurts out, never one to hold back on her thoughts. Her helm’s gripped in her left hand, and she taps it against her leg uneasily. “You think there are any stories that just shouldn't be remembered?"

Comments

[bestdadinamestris]

Tuned out of conversations that are going on in the Plaza as he is while he works on paperwork on an out-of-the-way bench, hearing Blaze's voice from nearby catches Hughes off guard. He looks up at his friend from the paper sprawled across the bench, brow furrowing at the question.

Boy does that sound familiar.

"If you're not given the choice to forget something, then it doesn't matter if they should or shouldn't be remembered. Taking away that choice negates any gains that could be made from having made it."

He quickly shuffles all of his papers into a few manila folders and stuffs them into a messenger bag. "That said, I wouldn't deal kindly with anyone erasing history for their own gains." He's not dealing with it well now, given what he and his friends are working so hard on back home. Shouldering his bag, he stands and walks over to Blaze. "I don't think anyone should be allowed to forget the past, no matter what's there."

[rekindledtitan]

Hughes knows her well enough to notice her eyes dim ever so slightly as she looks at him.

"Think I'm gonna get upset over lost memories, Hughes?" She shakes her head. "I'm talking about history. There's a whole order of my brethren missing from the City's records, and I'm trying to figure out one good reason our commander would go along with that. We need our history."

[bestdadinamestris]

That's never a good look. Especially from Blaze.

"Memories are what become history, Blaze," he reminds her, using the most patient voice he can manage. This is a tough subject, which means both it and his friend are getting his full attention and care. "There's no reason anyone should choose to go along with a plan that erases a part of a world's history, because those who disagree can only remember and pass on so much before it's truly lost. But they should disagree with the decision, and they should fight to get back what's been destroyed."

[rekindledtitan]

Oh, Hughes. You shouldn't be surprised that you're getting a look for that. It's not the focus of her bad mood, but Blaze has a remarkably poor poker face, especially where such a touchy subject is concerned.

"Yeah, well maybe I'd say the same. But it looks like the commander did go along with it, and I can't figure he'd do anything without our city's interest in mind. You're a spook, Hughes. Can't you think of any good reason to redact a whole unit?"

She might be... scratch that, it's clear she is looking for a justification here. It's not something that sits easily with her - but then, nor do any other possibilities as to her boss' motives.

[bestdadinamestris]

Hughes is the last person to take offense from moods like this. Especially from Blaze. The exo has been through more than enough to be justified about being angry about pretty much anything she wants.

"Nothing makes something like that okay." Nor should there be anything. If there's no history, there's no lessons that can be learned. And without those, people are doomed to repeat their mistakes. Given what he knows about Blaze and her world? There's few fates as bad as repeating what's been done, and done poorly, at least once before.

"But just because this has happened doesn't mean you have to let it slide. There's every reason to fight it and see if there's a way to recover what's been lost. Even if all you can manage is a little knowledge scraped together from what people still remember, it's something. And something is still better than nothing."