In the courtyard before the Grand Forum of the Chancellorate a crowd has gathered. News spread quickly regarding the Diarchy's newest public works project. It was to be a memorial, a commemoration of the brave citizens that withstood the terrible disaster that shook the world of Bastion when the duplicitous Fifth Wing utilized the now fallen Empire of the Lost to assault the planet.
Crafted of black marble and depicting the faces of some of the brave men and women that had fallen defending their homeland, the statue stands tall as a testament to the strength of Bastion and her people. Etched into the base of the statue are the names of all the fallen. Every man, woman, and child that had been lost will forever be remembered as heroes of the Diarchy, but it stands shrouded by a black and gold curtain.
The Diarchs themselves were in attendance, accompanied by their family and the High Council as always. Dressed somberly in black, Diarch Reign addressed the gathered crowd
There are moments in history that define us.. not through our triumphs, but through our trials. This is one of them.
We stand here on Bastion, the heart of the Diarchy, a world that has endured the storm of war and emerged unbroken. But the cost of that endurance is carved into the very foundation of this city. It is written in the streets we rebuilt, in the homes we reclaimed, and in the hearts of those who still wake to the echoes of battle.
And it is written in the names before you now."
The Diarch gestures to the memorial, his voice heavy with emotion as he continues
"The Fifth Wing came to Bastion believing they could break us. They sought to shatter what we have built, to extinguish the light of order we have fought so hard to establish. But they did not understand the strength of the Diarchy.
Our people, soldiers, citizens, brothers, and sisters did not falter! They stood in the face of darkness, knowing the cost, knowing that their lives were the shield that would defend this world. And though many fell, they did not fall in vain. Because of their sacrifice, Bastion still stands. Because of them, the Diarchy endures."
Reign pauses again, looking out towards his battered and weary people, those that look to them for protection.. those that he failed.
"I will not stand before you and tell you that their loss does not weigh on me. I will not tell you that their sacrifice was easy, nor that their absence will ever be filled. What I will tell you is this:
The Diarchy does not forget.
The names engraved here are not just names. They are the lives that built our future. They are the proof that unity, courage, and purpose cannot be erased by war. Their sacrifice was not simply in defense of Bastion, but in defense of everything we are! of the peace we forge, the order we build, and the future we refuse to let crumble into chaos.
They gave their lives so that others might live in a galaxy free from the horrors of disorder. It is now our duty, no, our responsibility! To ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain.
Reign turns to the families of the fallen, his voice softer but no less resolute.
"To those of you who lost mothers, fathers, siblings, sons, and daughters, you do not grieve alone, every loss is a rend in my own heart. Their legacy is not just the stone here in this place; it is written in every act of unity, every moment of peace we protect. They did not die nameless, faceless, or forgotten. They died as heroes of the Diarchy, as guardians of order, as the foundation upon which we build the future.
And as long as the Diarchy stands, they will be remembered.
From this day forward, let this monument serve not just as a memorial, but as a reminder. A reminder of what it means to stand together. A reminder that peace is never given, it is earned, defended, and upheld by those willing to sacrifice for it.
And a reminder that though the fallen are gone, they are not lost.
They live on in the world they saved. They live on in us.
The Diarchy will endure. The fallen will never be forgotten. And Bastion, your Bastion, will never fall.
After Reign finished his speech, Rellik would step forward, while not making grandiose proclamations, the other Diarch was nonetheless just as impassioned as he promised
"Aid, relief, recruitment, and army surplus will all be increased. All orphans will be taken in under government programs within my personal supervision. We will not leave you, our brothers and sisters wanting. We are family and we care for our own."
As the Diarchs finished their statements, the great black curtain would fall, showing the glorious creation, those in attendance openly weep at the visage of their lost loved ones, carved into the beautiful black marble. Commemorated forever as the heroes they were.
