So, here we stand. Around us lay the dead and dying. Some are those we held dear, some were those we grew to hate. The world has changed for us all. The war was won, and the tyranny we chose to distrust has wilted into dissent and history. All of us, whatever side we chose, have lost great figureheads, loved family members and trust friends. We stand bereft. But what have we truly sacrificed? There are no longer Godfathers that choose to dictate our every action, speech and gesture. We no longer have to stand trial without a jury. You will never stare blankly into the barrel of an executioner's gun, knowing that you have done no wrong.

It is not for me to claim that there will be peace, I can still here distant gunshots as the powers are rebalanced. The Foundation will never claim that they stood firm against Roman's army because it wanted freedom for everyone. But, my friends, it will always tell the stories of how it stood against a force which had lost its ambition for growth for all. I stand here, the son of one of the visionaries, a man that fell in battle not for himself, but for his crew and for all of you. Read, with reverance, the obituaries and you will see those that died on both fronts for a cause they supported. You will see names you hated and names you loved, some of you will see your own parents' final resting place. It would be unfair to call either side weaker, less dedicated or without honour because everybody chose their line in the sand. And by hell did they stay firm until their last moments.

We awaken now, comrades, to a new dawn throughout the cities. There will be power struggles, there will be further deaths. There must be balance and, indeed, histories rewritten. Let us pledge now that we will not stand tall because blood was spilt, but stand together for this brief moment in the knowledge that we have allied against the stagnant pool that had become our hierarchy.

We all know those responsible for our new present, and I supect we can point fingers at those which will govern the future. If they ever become the thing we grew to hate, then the dogs of war shall once again run free. Collect your friends, your munitions and your wits. This is the Beginning's end.

I think the surge in activity all through these streets is a great indicator of a "refresh" of sorts. I choose that word carefully, because we didn't need to start over or reset, we just needed restored. The cumulative efforts have brought about that restoration, and now we can engage our world the way we want. I'll take that pledge against stagnancy, and that we keep that in our mind as we return to our daily proceedings.