Wellington New Zealand-2011

Wehtu- Tattoo Artist

The mood was odd, the war was ending, we all felt that, knew that. A new world was about to be born, it would be a world were we would have a claim too, and the argument that had been going on in our community had come to a head. The world, no the Solar system was changing and changing drastically and we had to change with it. I felt old, much older then my 40 years of life. We should be sitting around a fire, in some kind of lodge, not the meeting room of a hotel, but there were too many of us for that. This would be the defining moment of our organization.

"We need to make a decision on how to handle people who sail the stars, we need to confirm that there will be a Ta Moko for this action."

The eldar, looked frail but he was surrounded by younger men and women, the old firebrand was popular. Rongo had earned himself a following in his 80 years of life, and was determined to keep the art alive.

"Sailing the stars, while an impressive feat doesn't merit the creation of a new type of Ta Moko."

That was Rata, he was more of a traditionalist, this feud had been going on for years, since the World tree went up. It got less hypothetical when one of our boys came back with proof that he had sailed the entire World tree at the time. Then more of our people started doing it and they wanted recognition of this feat.

"Bullshit! Our ancestors sailed the seas, sailing the skies was a thing only gods can do, Now our people can literally sail the stars. This feat deserves recognition Rata, our art is not a static thing, a tomb to be buried. It is a living thing, we must let it grow."

Rata frowned but the clock went out, and we took in our votes, they were counted carefully and the measure passed, the creation of a New official Ta Moko won and did so overwhelmingly. Quite a few people already had what they believed were Ta Moko of their voyage, it was good that their efforts would be legitimized, which brought us to the next argument.

The two old men frowned at each other, the issue that had been burning between them for nearly a generation. Rata nodded.

"I move that an exception be made for those who have made the voyage of the stars, and those who have fought the Endbringers."

Two seperate votes, some people were angry this was where Rata's support was, the issue was a hard fought one. Rata looked upset.

"I was against Kirituhi because it cheapened our art, now you want to give non-Maori Ta Moko?"

Rongo nodded his head.

"Yes but only for those two things, its would still be sacred but they would have to earn it, wind and oars only, no modern technology, and my second point would need proof, but to fight a monster like the old legends, to sail the stars like the old legends? That is worthy of a Ta Moko."

The younger men nodded, the older ones frowned, in the end another vote was held, I closed my eyes, this was a massive change, it could open up new business for me, but it was also my heritage, but then another thought occured maybe this wasn't about money. This was about recognition, humanity had fought together and earned their place in the stars. It wasn't given, it was earned. So a created Ta Moko that could be earned on merit alone... That was a good thing. I cast my vote, and there was a counting.

We won, not by much but we won, we would be expected to relay the news. I'm sure it would be in the back pages of all the newspapers, but I felt like the world had changed somehow, I left the room and looked out at the ocean, at the growing tree in the distance.

"We're coming."

And the stars better be ready for us when we get there.