11/09/113
The video feed opened in a small spartan room, undecorated except for the high backed swivel chair in which the Amarrian sat. His black hair was neatly combed, his goatee immaculate. One striking difference between him and the man his friends had known was the addition of a golden-irised cybernetic eye, which seemed to behave in all ways just as his other, natural, one did.
Tiberious leaned forward, looking into the 3d holographic imager, speaking directly to his viewers. His gaze was steady, his voice was calm and level.
"A few days ago, I left behind an empire, and joined a Nation. Since then I have found my name, previously held up as an avatar of compassion, of honesty, being dragged through the mud.
"This has mostly been done by those who had always had an interest in destroying me. Joining Sansha's Nation has just given them the avenue to do so. I don't care, particularly.
"Once, I would have. The only reason I was untouchable was because I refused to play in the shadows with the tools of subterfuge and intrigue. I still will not do this, and that is why I am putting forward my motivations here, for everyone to see."
He leaned back, folding his hands in front of himself with a fist into a palm. He glanced off to one side slightly, a small grin on his face. That was so familiar.
"I have desired to make the universe a better place. I have worked ceaselessly within the faith of the Amarr to bring the Amarr forward, to convince others that the path of peace is one worth following," he said, his eyes focusing on the camera again. "After all this work, its become clear to me that beyond a few spectacular shining lights, none of you want peace. What you want is an excuse to kill."
A hand swept up from its confines, sweeping through his hair for a moment.
"Lo and behold, someone has decided to arm you. Given ships you can control with your minds, and the gift to return when your misadventures would otherwise have ended your follies, you have seen fit to declare yourselves Gods," He said, smiling almost gently, "But gods must care for their people. You care only for momentary thrills and the apparently almighty power of the Interstellar Kredit.
"For this, you have murdered your crews, or the crews of others, and sometimes over something as small as a perceived insult, for to get a few laughs. For this, the masses on the ground see you as heroes, or demons sometimes, but always something to be admired," He paused briefly, settling into the silence. Behind him, the barren wall began to break down, becoming very basic geometric shapes pressed into a solid wall.
"Some people say I have turned my back on free will. Well, certaintly, if this is what free will brings. It is a price I will gladly pay to build a Utopia."
He turned slightly, towards the decompiling wall, reaching out a hand towards one of the shapes. This one was a pyramid, and it was joined via a series of strings to the other shapes.
"This is the unity I seek. The triangle still exists, but it is joined by a slender chain to its brothers and sisters. Together, they form something greater. Are they free? No," He turned his hand and returned the shape to the wall, where the shapes moved from their positions and formed a galaxy, "But they are as beautiful as they would have been seperate, and more importantly, they build something much more beautiful than any of them would have been alone."
He turned back to the camera, the galaxy shrinking back into nothingness, leaving only black.
"That is why I have joined Nation, friends."
