Speech: Anikos' Orders and Dark Times
From FiranMUX
Summary
The market massacre remains one of the largest blunders of the Republic and certainly the largest blunder of Lord Viceroy Taleo Teranzik's career. To quell a small mob, Sir Anikos was placed in charge. In order to disperse the crowd he used Griffons causing a panic among the people. In a failed order, the griffons swooped down toward the people in an attempt to disperse them. Many pilots lost control of their mounts, and griffons attacked rioters and military personal alike.
Two speeches relate to this, both given by the Lord Viceroy. The first orders Sir Anikos back to the scene where he was killed while successfully stopping the massacre, and the second is Taleo's offer of resignation to the Clan Council that was refused.
Anikos Orders
"You are going back to the forum. Sentry. If he can't walk, find him a horse. If he can't ride, put him on a griffon. I don't care how he gets there!" Taleo turns to Anikos, "Go. Back in there. And do not come back to me until the riot as stopped! Succeed, and perhaps your soul will be saved. Better to die a hero than at the end of a hangman's noose that awaits you."
Dark Times
"Firans, I have seen the forum and I am literally sickened by the loss of life. I hear your crying. I hear the hatred building. I hear the Hydrans telling the Republic "I told you so" and the Eagles wanting more blood. The Griffons have suffered a loss, the Bears too, and the Gold Dragons are taking pause to reflect in their mourning. This kind of pain is the work of the dark one. You know who I speak of. I understand this pain, the emotional blackness that takes us over, when the need to get blood and vengeance is heavy on our souls. When I was held a Shamibelian slave in my youth, I witnessed the work of the dark one many times, and it is devastating to see it here in the very center of our city.
"The Market Massacre ought never have happened. I would never have imagined that someone like Sir Anikos, who was such a hero to the Republic in the last Air Raid, could have shown such poor judgment. Lord Primo is investigating why a celebrated commander would issue those orders, why our pilots were not trained better, and why Lord Rivaren allowed it to happen on his watch. But all that said, I must take full responsibility for this dark day in Republic history. I will offer my resignation to the Clan Council at our next meeting. But should they express continued faith in me and retain me as Viceroy, I swear to this Republic that a first division will be born. A memorial will be built in honor of the victims of this terrible tragedy, and we will never forget how their lives were lost. We will rebuild, not from a place of hate, but from a place of love and pride for what we have built. Let our Republic and continued unity, even after such terrible accidents, be a mote in the eye of Drik.
