What does Loyalty mean to us?
“Bros before hoes”
“For the good of the Kree”
“NWO 4 Life”
“I can't carry it for you, Mr. Frodo. BUT I CAN CARRY YOU!!”
“The captain goes down with the ship*
Most of us have a general idea of how loyalty looks. And, most can comprehend the definition.
Faithful adherence to a sovereign, government, leader, cause, etc.
We use the term in our daily lives. The loyal customer who comes every Sunday for bread. The loyal employee who has missed a workday in 20 years. Loyal as a dog. You get it. But, while we understand how loyalty looks, how many people truly understand what loyalty is? Or a more pointed question: how many can grasp what true loyalty entails?
Loyalty, like most of these concepts, comes in many forms that share a common theme: sticking with someone. But, as alluded to in the intro, you can be loyal to a person, an organisation, a cause or belief, an institution, etc. And it's more than just not leaving. It's the friend who changes schools mid semester because their bestie feels alone at their new college. It's the girlfriend who stashes drugs inside herself when she visits her jailbird boyfriend. It's that same boyfriend only being locked up because he took the fall for her murder. Loyalty is sacrifice, putting your support for another over your own comfort. Loyalty is dedication.
These are all loud obvious examples of loyalty. But, what about the examples that go unseen? Examples like the secretary who deletes the job offer emails a larger rival company sends every week, but never tells anyone cause she knows the boss would start a fight he can't win. Or the homie who wears brown whenever the girl you like is around, cause he knows she hates the colour, making you look better by comparison. Loyalty is commitment.
Loyalty is desirable, yet often people are “loyal to a fault”. Where does one draw the line? What happens when that loyalty is given to something dangerous, something evil?
Kai Ten does not bother with such questions.
Few characters embody fierce loyalty quite like The Silent Edge. Kai has been exceptionally lethal since childhood, which is also when she first met Valon. She liked to kill. He gave her targets. He gave her purpose. She gave him a living weapon. He owns her. And, she would have it no other way.
Since that fateful evening when he found her, bathed in the blood of men 4x her size, Kai has dedicated her entire existence to fulfilling Valon's dream, spying on or cutting down anyone who dared stand against her master. Kai cares little for personal satisfaction or frivolous amusement. She cares only about her master and her mission. To her, Valon Durey is king. And Kai Ten is his most loyal and most lethal assassin.
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