The Knight is Crowned King
“I am saying it is time to put aside the trooper, the CT number, the clone who served under a sergeant in a Republic that no longer exists. It is time for you to become the captain that we– your people –need you to be.”
Tech stood up straight. “Then, if that is the case, Camina, I have a request.”
“Say it.”
“Get me a tattoo gun. Now.”
-Camina Drummer and Tech, Far Past the Ring
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I really can’t thank @cloned-eyes enough for this wonderful piece that they did. She she taki taki!
It is Camina Drummer giving Tech the infamous 'collar' tattoo of The Belt in her presidential office, LDS mural still behind her.
For me, this culminates the spirit of Far Past the Ring, especially for canon characters Camina Drummer and Tech.
The story was initially conceived as a fun little romp for Clone Force 99, where Tech would meet a Belter engineer, they’d chat, maybe have a short romance, and move on with their lives.
This was February 2023.
But after Plan 99 aired a month later…well, we all went a little nuts. I did, too. Blame the Wellbutrin.
Also, blame me taking folklore classes at Berkeley as an undergrad. I decided the short story was going to become something bigger, and Tech was taking center stage.
On that note, I was so angry for Tech.
I was angry for all of his potential as a character, thrown down the mountain on Eriadu.
So, I decided to whip out the ol’ English 251 notes I had from years ago, and chart out Tech’s own Hero’s Journey, through the world of The Expanse meeting the world of Star Wars.
But I did not want Tech merely limping off into the sun into a simple, happy ending. No.
I wanted him to face challenges, fight, win alliances, and be received as the goddamned hero that he is.
To quote Campbell himself from The Hero with a Thousand Faces:
“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”
And who better to bestow this mighty power and crown unto Tech then Camina motherfuckin’ Drummer.
If you haven’t seen The Expanse, know that Camina Drummer goes through the Hero’s Journey of Hero’s Journeys herself. She rose from an orphan working the docks on Ceres, to a foot soldier for Anderson Dawes, a director under Fred Johnson, the first commanding officer of the largest vessel in human history (The OPAS Behemoth, later Medina Station), and then, the first president of the Transport Union, arguably the most powerful person in the universe.
It isn't an easy journey: she's shot, beaten, breaks her spine, loses the love of her life, watches loved ones get murdered in front of her, and is abandoned by those who professed to love her.
But Camina Drummer never gives up. She fights to the end to make things right. Girlfriend is rewarded....and now she passes that onto Tech.
After all, Camina’s people, the Belters, adorn themselves through tattoos. They live their lives in space, in the vacuum, where jewelry can be lost, damaged or hurt the owner. So they tattoo.
Years ago, cheap suits were supplied by Inners for Belters under their governance. They demanded Belters to work and extract resources from the Kuiper Belt and other outer planets in order to make them rich. The helmet connections ot the suit would often burn the wearer's neck, as seen below on Anderson Dawes.
In many ways, it is also a symbol of the yoke of slavery, of a chain around one’s neck.
Although younger Belters now wear better vacsuits, they still wear the tattoos to remind them of what their ancestors went through, seen on Naomi Nagata below.
A symbol of pain is now a symbol of what Belters are fighting for–freedom. Which they earn.
So, by getting that tattoo, done by Camina Drummer, the hero and president of the Belt, is our Tech getting crowned.
It’s right after Camina makes him their Chief Systems Engineer as well as a commander. He bled and fought for his chosen people, and he is rewarded as such.
It's him saying I'm here, I'm one of you, and your leader is the one putting it on me.
Oh, and in true fairy tale hero’s journey mode, Tech also gets a beautiful Belter ‘princess’...Sjael Drummer, Camina’s cousin.
Once again, something that originally wasn’t in the cards last year, but I wanted a full Hero’s Journey and I was damned if Tech wasn’t going to get it!
Tagging those that have commented and enjoyed the story: @eyecandyeoz @perfectlywingedcrusade @megmca @skellymom @cdblake1565 @thecoffeelorian @supremechancellorrex @that-salmonberry-punk @autistic-artistech @deezlees @littlefeatherr @nahoney22 @freesia-writes @eelfuneral @yeehawgeek @isthereanechoinhere96 @sued134
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