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“You all know I ah hands “I have held weapons I have led men It’s what I aiants” He looks at the Golds, the Obsidians “But I have learned that giants can be felled ords Words are our…salvation So I stand here before you ar to hie do you want to live in? One where the sword leads and we follow? Or an age where our voice can sing louder than an engine can roar? Was that not the Song of Persephone? The dream of Eo of Lykos?”

There are reement from his supporters

An inner bitterness wells as he insinuates my deviation from Eo’s dream She was mine and I lost her to them But each tih she’s been dug froround and paraded for the crowd

“Senators, we have no power in and of ourselves,” Dancer continues slowly “We are just vessels Men and women chosen to speak for the People, by the People, to channel their voice to protect the People Darrow, you helped give the People a voice For that, we are in your debt

“But now you refuse to listen to that voice, to obey the laws you helped iven an order by the Senate, by the People, to stand down over Mercury You disobeyed that order You released an Iron Rain” He looks to Sefi She sits several seats down fro with an unreadable expression “Because of your impatience, a le day Two hundred thousand Obsidians Two hundred thousand A number that cannot be replaced” The words are heavy as they fall, and I see the soleer I’ve felt from Sefi since that day “Not only did you do this, but you illegally pillaged eleuards Mars to add to your assault on Mercury Why?”

“Because it was necessary to—”

“One million souls”

I knew thirty-seven of those souls, and soer than one ht by politicians will be lost by everyone,” I say bitterly “Harnassus and Orion supported ions have protected you this far But now you question them?”

“Our legions?” he asks “Are they ours?” Before I can answer, he lu control of the conversation with all the grace of an old bear

“How many of us have lost loved ones to war? How hters, wives, husbands? My hands are raw froenocide and starvation on planets we claim free On Mars, my home How many more must suffer to free Mercury and Venus, planets now so indoctrinated that our own Colors will fight against us for every inch of ground we take?”

“So as long as Mars is free, you’re content to call it a day? Leave the others to rot?” I ask

He looks me in the eyes “Is Mars free? Ask a Red frohetto The yoke of poverty is as heavy as that of tyranny”

Mustang interjects “We have a solemn duty to rid the worlds of the stain of slavery Your oords, Senator”

“We also have a solemn duty to make those worlds better than they were before,” Dancer replies “Two hundred million have died since House Lune fell Tell me, what is the purpose of victory if it destroys us? If we are stretched so thin that we cannot protect or provide for those we bring out of the mines?”

There are no weapons in the rooar and his Warden, but Dancer’s words do dah They rattle the Senate hall And he’s not finished