SavageRifts.com

Hail to the Chief
After a quick vote to determine a new leader and a full battlefield survey, the team packs up and gets the convoy back on the road. There is a general malaise over the group as they mourn their fallen comrade. The long open plains and big skies give lots of opportunity for reflection.

Timothy stands there reflecting on Fells body. When anyone walks up (especially if its Cory) he speaks up. "When I was first assigned to the 1st, I figured I would have been assigned,
be the bottom man, carry the heavy shit. Normal shit. Then the Owl put us together, told us to elect our leader. I never heard of such a thing, especially in a military unit. To say the results was a bit shocking to me would be an understatement. Who ever thought that a juicer should be in charge. But he was. I followed his orders and he got us through some dicey moments,
including Merl being hatched. That is something I don't want to see again. We just had our second round of elections and hopefully the last one for a while, Fell will still be influential in the team going forward. His leadership will be inspirational to us in the years to come." Timothy holds up Fells Sword in a salute. "May you find peace where ever you are my friend."

Sinder steps forward, "Fell died as he wanted, going out in a balaze of glory. But that is how I always saw him with the first SET. From the time I arrived he was always in the front, always taking the risk, always overcoming all the odds. This was our friend, our mentor, our Fell."
Sinder gets a bit of red paint and heads over to his hovercycle. He then paints on the cycle "Fell's Last Ride" the next line under it "To Hell and Back"

Saul grins at Timothy, " You would be excellent at being a bildge bunny... Bottom of the heap indeed... Hopefully you will rise to your elected status and lead us to the better tomorrow... I will be watching closely..." Saul grows quiet as he walks away. Grimly he says, " If it would not be too much trouble I would like to use Fell's FU designation." This blood thirsty monster will get us all killed. I suppose we all got to die at some point. He probably thinks I am an asinine prick.
Saul nods and gives Sinder a thumbs up. " Sweet ride, Fell would be proud." Saul looks at the ground briefly, " As a Sea Inquisitor, I can marry you and your girlfriend, if that is something you desire. For whatever it is worth, the pact would be binding under the natural laws of the sea and those that dwell on it... I have only wed one other couple, the strain of the pact was too much and they killed themselves to get out..." Saul chuckles and Sinder would be hard pressed to tell if he was joking.

---

Sitting shotgun Saul gazes out to the prarie. He sharpens the bone blade newly aquired on a whet stone. The smooth ride Qoat provides does not go unnoticed and Saul nods his appreciation. " Qoat, it occurs to me that I never really got a chance to know Fell. I have heard the stories, Newtown of course. Scuttlebut from the Legion, sorried tales of him and Tim leading the charge against tentacle monsters. But who he was I'll never know... I did meet this little girl, she couln't have been more than eight or nine. She was staying in the Castle. After I told her I was assigned to rendevous with the legions 1st she got so happy that I begged her to tell me why." Saul looks down at his blade, almost sharp enough. " She said that when her family was brought in from Garnet town, I guess they were displaced after the coalition torched it, she was so sad. Her friends were dead, her grand parents killed, all her toys, especially a brown teddy bear, were ash and dust. She looks at me with a great big smile and tells me how she met this Juicer on her first day. He tried so hard to cheer her up. Cartwheels, jokes, food, and tickles, nothing worked. The juicer told her his name was Fell and that he would always be her friend. The next day after her first, Fell true to his word gave her a new teddy bear, a dirty white one that had seen better days for sure.". Saul stopped talking, his voice somber and strained. Saul looks out at the plains and anyone else in the vehicle, " The little girl told me to take care of her friend. Now I have to explain to her how I did not, and how he died a hero."

The last time Cory really let go, really just had a good time, was that night at the Outside. It also happened that it was also the only time she stopped giving Fell a hard time. Right now, digging through the ruins after this battle, she can't help thinking out about it all. Sayeen, Fell, dead, and what about Lail? No one knows, the poor girl could be anywhere, lost, confused, in danger maybe.

Fell went out in a way, despondent and so alone, that she cringes. It didn't take long him for him to go from a care free and reckless young man full of life to the death seeking, careless, maniac. Of course, and she can't help it, Cory winders if it was all her fault. But she couldn't have done anything different. She couldn't give Fell what he wanted, she just couldn't. It wasn't her job to keep him alive, not in that sense, really.

And all of the unwarranted guilt makes her really frustrated. She's angry at Fell, angry at him for putting her in this position. She sad he's gone. If she's honest though, he's been gone for a long time. He gave in to the burnout, he didn't fight it, he didn't choose life he, and he alone, was responsible for his death. He may have done something heroic, some sort of glorious self sacrifice, but he was still a selfish jerk. They, the team, did not need him to die to keep them safe. There was no need at all for that kind of fake selflessness. Cory is very mad at Fell, he was a person full of life who just gave up. Just gave up.

Standing up she throws a piece of junk on the ground as hard as she can. Then Cory kicks it as hard as she can. "Damn you Fell, you selfish jerk!" she shouts into the air. Why couldn't the guy she danced with that night have remained? He was their leader, he had compassion, and his recklessness was tempered by his joy. "Damn you Fell!" she shouts again. Her whole body shakes with her anger, sadness and guilt. She has not tears for Fell though, he was a jerk sometimes, but he died like a complete asshole.

Servos whine as Sparkmort cracks open his armor revealing himself to the others for the first time. Disengaging himself from the waldo system that allows him to pilot the huge Titan Gnome Armor he hits a release with his left foot deploying a small chain ladder not unlike those used in rescue craft. With his other foot he triggers a hidden spring loaded release that launches a NG-LG out of its hidden recess in the armor which Sparkmort snags out of the air at the top of its ascent. Slinging the rifle across his back he clamors down the ladder with practiced ease.

The young mystic that was friends with the dragon was standing near Severin's rocky coffin and even Sparkmort could tell that she was upset, given her outburst. Laying a hand on her arm he tried to speak comfort to the girl though people skills were not really his forte. "Try not to judge Severin Fell too harshly, lass. Many of the decisions regarding his fate he made years ago. The day he decided to undergo the Juicer process his fate was largely sealed by his own hand. Sure he could have sought out the detoxification process but that could have just as easily had killed him too. On the other hand he could have also sought out a Grim Reaper in order to escape his fate. I can understand you being angry with him for leaving as he did but for your sake and his try to find it in your heart to forgive him too."

Turning to Severin's entombed body Sparkmort makes his own goodbye's quietly. "Well Severin, it's too bad our reunion didn't last longer than it did. You were always a decent sort back in Newtown and from what I've heard you've only improved over the years since." Pausing for a deep breath Sparkmort continues, "I'm glad you got the chance to go out on your own terms and more importantly that you didn't do anything insane to try and avoid your fate. All part of that Juicer mentality I guess." With a wry grin he adds, "personally, I'm looking forward to seeing how the next couple of centuries turn out so don't expect me to come looking for you in the afterlife anytime soon. Rest easy, Severin."

Hearing his team speak about Fell, Qoat can't help but think about the last few weeks with the 1st. He stands surprisingly stoic, saying only, "Bye Fell. Thanks." This isn't what I expected when I agreed to be a part of SET. It wasn't nearly this hard during the war with Tolkeen. Those young humans would come in all rosy-cheeked on the first day, and then most within a week, were ashen faced and stiff as they were lowered into the ground. A sheet with the Coalition flag emblazed upon on it quickly pulled up to cover their ghastly expressions of pain and fear. I didn't know them, and to some extent, I took a little pleasure to see them get their comeuppance based on how they treated me. But we've lost three, Sayeen, his daughter, Lail, and now Fell. Even Cory was injured this time around. How long until it's my turn? I just want to get back to a warm garage and spend the evenings with a beautiful Qymph sitting on my knee feeding me food and drink.

Saul wrote:Sitting shotgun Saul gazes out to the prarie. He sharpens the bone blade newly aquired on a whet stone. The smooth ride Qoat provides does not go unnoticed and Saul nods his appreciation. " Qoat, it occurs to me that I never really got a chance to know Fell. I have heard the stories, Newtown of course. Scuttlebut from the Legion, sorried tales of him and Tim leading the charge against tentacle monsters. But who he was I'll never know... I did meet this little girl, she couln't have been more than eight or nine. She was staying in the Castle. After I told her I was assigned to rendevous with the legions 1st she got so happy that I begged her to tell me why." Saul looks down at his blade, almost sharp enough. " She said that when her family was brought in from Garnet town, I guess they were displaced after the coalition torched it, she was so sad. Her friends were dead, her grand parents killed, all her toys, especially a brown teddy bear, were ash and dust. She looks at me with a great big smile and tells me how she met this Juicer on her first day. He tried so hard to cheer her up. Cartwheels, jokes, food, and tickles, nothing worked. The juicer told her his name was Fell and that he would always be her friend. The next day after her first, Fell true to his word gave her a new teddy bear, a dirty white one that had seen better days for sure.". Saul stopped talking, his voice somber and strained. Saul looks out at the plains and anyone else in the vehicle, " The little girl told me to take care of her friend. Now I have to explain to her how I did not, and how he died a hero."

Qoat looks over at the man with his hat perched on his head. "You said it right, he died a hero. He decided when he agreed to get juiced that he wasn't going to be around to see grandkids, it was always about what he could do in the here and now. He did it right. I am not sure I can say I'll do the same."

"Why did you leave us, Fell? You were my second favorite person in the whole wild world! I will miss you!"

With that, Merlaggon turns away and takes to the skies to try to find a reason behind it all.

They will all just die on me in time. Even if they aren't killed, they only have about a century to live. Do I keep on making friends with them, knowing that they will die, or do I just stop making friends and not get hurt by their deaths?