#'alder regrets the accords' also pretty bad but it is much easier to tweak the characterization to make it plausible

[arbitrarygreay]

Writers like to play with Alder being old-fashioned, usually with regards to courting (even though the point of the witches' Pagan background is to reject that mindset and embrace queer shamelessness, but whatever), but one aspect I have yet to see anyone acknowledge is the older attitude towards war. Abigail's beliefs about glory did not come from nowhere, she absorbed them from the role models around her, from those highest up trickling down. She walked into Alder's office in the pilot, thinking based on her past experiences with Alder that her description of Raelle would garner Alder's sympathy. Alder herself speaks of glory many times during the show, including in contexts that make it clear that it is genuinely her personal belief, not just public propaganda for morale's sake. Her rebuke to Abigail was not that Raelle could offer other things besides being a soldier, but that everyone could rise to military excellence. In her opening speech in 1x1, she says that her deal with the Massachusetts Bay Militia was that "we will win your wars". Not defend, win. An emphasis on offense, on beating the opponent. Not a maintenance of peace, but a support of active conquest. Alder may have helped the creation of the Cession, but all of that land had to be taken by the US in the first place in order for them to be able to cede it. I will grant that there are more modern phrases in both 1x1 and her speech through Wade in 1x9. "to protect and defend" "to serve and defend" "cooperation, protect, restore peace" And yet, what are those sentiments surrounded by? "wipe the Spree from the face of the earth for good" "There is no middle ground. There is only one side now." "eliminate a threat with decisive finality". And, uh, while it may be tasteless to make comparisons to recent events in our world, this literally happens right after Alder had her soldiers do the opposite of rescue hostages in favor of killing the enemy, and then lied to everyone about who were the perpetrators. This isn't Alder bashing. What I'm saying is that I want to see a portrayal of Alder in fanfic that stays true to this characterization, that she comes from an era where the horrors of war only added to the glory one gained from them, where military commanders led from the front and relished the opportunity to triumph over their opponent. Where performance on the field was the standard by which they measured their respect for others. It's okay that Xena got to have excited smiles of anticipation about her fights. Alder focused the Accords on a specific purpose, rather than allowing for any other application of their powers (e.g. manufacturing, construction, agriculture, medical), because she herself much more prefers the scourge to the plow. There is zero indication in any second of canon, especially in season 1, that Alder was tired of the fight. At most she was annoyed that others kept trying to hold her back. To her, being a soldier is empowering.