Operation story: 11-19

Operation

Story

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Characters
Dagda Indra Morgan Siege Totter Allerdale Golding Molly "Steam Armor" ("The Last Steam Knight") Knight (Naughty Child) Tyrant (Innocent Child) Victorian Mercenary ???
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5

Before operation

Summary The last Steam Knight rises from the depths of the mausoleum, intent on punishing any who would transgress against fair Victoria.
Dagda	In front of you, Siege! Is that...?
Siege	A suit of steam armor.
The spurts of white steam stand out in front of the dark hue of the armor. Spurt after spurt. Like breathing. The fog parts before him. He awakens from history. Nothing can stop him. Nothing can defeat him. Not abandonment, not betrayal. Not even death.
<Background 1>
Victorian Mercenary	It's moving! Look, it's moving! Man alive, what is happening here?!
[Totter and the mercenaries fire at the living power armor of the Steam Knights, but their shots barely scratch it.]
Totter	Agh! Bolts do nothing! Get the grenades!
[The mercs fire explosive bolts at the living Steam Knight armor, but...]
The massive suit of armor rises from the rubble. Heavy footsteps. Heavy gushing. It walks toward the panicked crowd, one step at a time.
[The mercs continue firing...]
"Steam Armor"	(Heavy gushing)
[...but it remains unfazed. Totter tries to attack it from close range, but his sword glances off the armor.]
Victorian Mercenary	There's no point. You're from Sargon, Totter. You wouldn't understand. They were the stuff of our bedtime stories. It's still stories of the Steam Knights I tell when I put my kids to bed. How are we supposed to defeat him? How do we defeat our pride, our glory, our hero, who's already been betrayed once? We can't defeat him. This is a... a Victorian Steam Knight.
[The living Steam Knight armor release a surge of energy...]
Totter	Fall back! Fall back!
[...and Totter tries to provide covering fire.]
<Background 2>
[The surging noise is heard in the mausoleum's entrance.]
Morgan	What's that sound?
Indra	Sounds like steam. Definitely steam. They're back! I know I backed the right one! This is where Vina hid her joker! Morgan, we've got the Steam Knights on our side!
Morgan	There are Steam Knights left in Londinium? Here? Are they guarding the Mausoleum of Kings? The Sighs of Kings?
Indra	Ha, who cares what they're doing? Vina is their king! When we come out up top with the Steam Knights, those Sarkaz will... hey, Morgan, what's that look on your face for?
Morgan	Vina's gonna get the Sighs of Kings. Four years. The Steam Knights have stayed by the sword for four years, in this sunless dungeon. They didn't show up when the Sarkaz occupied the city. They didn't show up when the Sarkaz took over the factories. They didn't show up when the Sarkaz burned the noble houses. What do they think? Are they gonna side with intruders into the Mausoleum of Kings?
[Unidentified people surrounds Morgan and Indra without them noticing.]
Morgan	Who's there?!
Indra	Take your weapon, Morgan. They're strong... they're all around us. Hah, this is getting interesting.
???	Why are the hoodlums of Norport here? The Glasgow Gang? Under Alexandrina?
Indra	Show your face, now!
???	Hmph. There are enough variables without that sound of gushing steam rising in Londinium again. What would the Duke think if she knew there were survivors among the Steam Knights? Would she be uneasy? Or glad that the glorious heroes of old have returned? Ha, glory... Let's take care of the hoodlums. Don't let them get in Allerdale's way.
<Background 1>
"Steam Armor"	(Heavy gushing)
Siege	...Steam Knights. Four years... there are survivors among the Steam Knights?
Dagda	Those marks... they should have been lethal wounds. The Sarkaz spikes destroyed the cores. There's no way the wearer would survive. Plus, no one could enter or leave the Mausoleum of Kings without the royal key. He's spent four years in this dark dungeon... Even if he survived the initial carnage, how could he have survived in this place?
Siege	......
Dagda	What does the man in the armor look like now?
"Steam Armor"	(Heavy gushing)
Allerdale	...... Who are... you...? No... what are you?
A flame sparks in the helmet of the armor. Allerdale can feel a cold gaze upon herself. Upon everyone here. The flame...
<Flashback starts here>
The armor roaring in the flames. It was a dream from her childhood. Her hope for salvation. The destruction that she witnessed with her own eyes. A nightmare, too terrible to gaze upon.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 1>
He is back. Back before her. Allerdale cannot keep herself from trembling.
Allerdale	Have you come to settle this?
"Steam Armor"	(Heavy gushing)
Siege	...... Allerdale! Look out!
[Siege runs toward Allerdale...]
[...and pushes her out of the way before confronting the sole surviving Steam Knight.]
Siege	Steam Knight, I am Alexandrina Vina Victoria, heir to the Aslan kings. Halt your attack, knight. We are not your enemies.
"Steam Armor"	......
"Victoria."
Siege hears a voice echo above her head. Was it the Steam Knight? She is unsure. It sounded more like the rumbling of a machine than a human voice. The spurts of white steam become more rapid and forceful. The dark knight raises his massive weapon towards her. "Victoria." Siege suddenly understands. The Steam Knight is not calling her name. It is looking at her sword. The Sighs of Kings, the symbol of the royal house of Victoria.
"The Last Steam Knight"	"Victoria."
He called the sword Victoria. The Victoria that he swore to defend unto his last breath. Glorious Victoria betrayed him. Now, he will defend the symbol of Victoria. The last knight of the empire shall take revenge on all those who transgress against her. He charges towards the heir to the throne.
<Background 1>
Dagda	Get out of the way, Siege! Why did the Steam Knight attack you? Can't he tell...?
Totter	Get down!
[Totter pushes Dagda away as the Steam Knight swings his thermal blade, narrowly missing them.]
Dagda	Argh... *cough*...
Totter	The sword of fire... Don't let it hit you!
[The Steam Knight went into a rampage...]
Victorian Mercenary	It's gone mad! We can't stop it! Get out of here! Get out! Get out...
[...and impales one of the mercs with its pilebunker...]
Victorian Mercenary	Gah!
[...killing him. The Steam Knight then attacks the rest of the mercs, effortlessly slaughtering them.]
Totter	...... We'll all be dead before long.
Siege	Get your men out.
Totter	......
Allerdale	Do as Vina says.
Totter	Mission aborted, then. Looks like my retirement plan will have to wait.
[Totter and the surviving mercs run away.]
Siege	Dagda, take the mercs and get out.
Dagda	Your Highness!
Siege	You're the last one who bowed to them. Take their story back, let it see the light of day.
Dagda	The story belongs to all of us, Siege. We should tell it together. I don't know what's come over you, Allerdale. I used to respect you. I thought you were worthy of a knight's honor. No, you were a knight paragon in my mind. Always at the forefront, not caring for fame and fortune, not afraid of any foe. You were Cumberland the Ever on High!
Allerdale	...... Nothing can remain on High forever, Dagda.
Dagda	But we fought together, didn't we? Your story is here too, Allerdale. If you want to come back.
Allerdale	I can't do that, can I?
Dagda	It depends on you. But first, we deal with this knight. My master taught me that a duel between knights must be fair and honorable. Our foe is a glorious hero. Allow me to stand by your side, Your Highness.
Siege	...Of course.
Allerdale	Fight... him? A pathetic, despicable, lying traitor. How can one like that challenge fate? It's a wonderful fable, isn't it? An innocent child wanted to become a hero. But she went bad, and when the hero returned from history, she found his sword at her throat. The story should end with her death. She should lose everything. Never to fulfill her destiny. Vina, I...
Siege	I don't want to hear you talk about "destiny" anymore, Allerdale. Hold your head high, Allerdale Cumberland. There is no such thing as destiny, for me or for you. I need to calm him down. Then, if you still want this sword, all you need to do is challenge me, and I'll abide. This is not your bloody destiny, Allerdale. What you want to do, do it. But don't say that word anymore.
Allerdale	......
"The Last Steam Knight"	(Heavy gushing)
Allerdale	He's coming.

After operation

Summary Allerdale Cumberland. You will meet Vina again, someday.
The sound of steam. Heavy gushing.
"Stand up, **." "Training time, **." "Not bad, **. A Steam Knight at your age! You're our pride, and the pride of Victoria!"
Unintelligible syllables. Is someone calling his name? But he cannot remember his own name anymore. Evans? Jones? Wilson? Lynch? None of them, and all of them.
"We are the Steam Knights." "We vow to defend Victoria unto our last breath."
But why... Why were his fellows hidden in the shadows behind the outlanders' swords? His comrades fell, one by one. In the end, he was the only one left. He was The Last Steam Knight. He cannot fall here. The Steam Knights must not fall. Victoria needs him. He must fulfill his duty. No medicine, no matter. The armor will repair his flesh and blood. No food, no matter. There are always critters crawling in the darkness. No light, no matter. The sword gives him all the light he needs. He is not dead. The Steam Knights are not dead. They continue to defend Victoria. But... What is Victoria? I swore an oath before the King, before the people, before the world. I stood vigil, night after night, but where lies the light of Victoria that I have sworn fealty to? Is Victoria its king? They hanged the king. Is Victoria Parliament and the nobles? No maintenance, no supplies, no new members. They sent the Steam Knights into mortal danger time after time, in order to feed their greed. Is Victoria the people? The people praise the Steam Knights, honor the Steam Knights, glorify the Steam Knights. They place all their hopes, all their dreams upon the Steam Knights. Nothing can carry hopes that are so contradictory, so complex. What is Victoria? Does Victoria only exist in the imagination? There is still the sword, the Sighs of Kings. It is the symbol of Victoria, beyond all doubt. Then it will be his Victoria. Now, someone wants to defile his Victoria. This is unacceptable. He cannot lose his last–
<Background 1>
[The Steam Knight continues his rampage...]
"The Last Steam Knight"	(Heavy gushing) "Victoria."
[...and strikes Siege, who narrowly dodged it.]
Siege	D-Do you hear, knight? I cannot command you. I ask you to allow us to take the sword. Not because of who I am. Londinium needs it. No, not Londinium. The children shivering in orphanages need it. The farmers who lost hearth and home to war need it. The workers pouring sweat and blood into their machines need it. The citizens who drink away their helplessness need it. The soldiers who step forward to protect their homes need it. Rhodes Island, trying to avert disaster, needs it. It is not a storm that it will dispel. It is the fear. This is how it must be used. It's not your Victoria, knight. Allow me to pass.
[As the Steam Knight walks toward Siege...]
Not Victoria? Then where is Victoria? The Steam Knight is filled with confusion and anger. Where is Victoria?! What is the Victoria that he served?!
"The Last Steam Knight"	(Heavy gushing)
[Dagda tries to stop him, but her attacks are ineffective as the Steam Knight goes faster than before.]
Dagda	He's getting faster! We can't stop him!
[The Steam Knight strikes at Siege, but Allerdale protects her with her Arts.]
Siege	Allerdale!
[Allerdale tells Siege while maintaining the barrier,]
Allerdale	Your Highness Alexandrina. Do you remember the day we met? We should have spoken more. You appeared at the ducal manor, with that sword.
Allerdale	It was a beautiful afternoon. There was music in the garden. The flowers bloomed brightly. People danced and talked about tomorrow. Everything was filled with hope. I boasted that I would become a Steam Knight. The light shone upon the sword... and upon you. They said what happened that afternoon was a miracle.
She was running. The freshly-trimmed grass made her feet itch. Jim the Gardener laughed by the bushes. Ailshie ran after her, calling for her to slow down. But she was eager to run towards the freshly-blooming flowers. They were golden, shining under the sun, like the emblem of House Cumberland. Her father picked her up, sat her on his shoulder. She lifted her tiny palm, and let her touch the lines on the steam armor. The broken armor stands up. Her father is gone. She has grown up, and she no longer stands before the armor. She feels the heavy weight of the armor on her shoulder. Through her visor, she sees a golden lion at the end of the path.
"Allerdale Cumberland. You will meet Vina again, someday."
<Background 3>
Allerdale	It's been hard for me to believe in miracles, after all these years. Ailshie told me that I don't know who I will be. I'm afraid there won't be a "will be". How old was I? I don't remember. I promised Ailshie that I'd become a Steam Knight and protect everyone. At least, I have the chance to face a Steam Knight now. I hear you, Vina. There's no such thing as fate or destiny. Not for House Cumberland, not for the dukes. To hell with destiny. I'm tired. Tired of playing a noble, playing a leader, playing a friend.
Siege	You're the leader of the Self-Salvation Corps because they trust you. You're my friend because I say you are.
Allerdale	Hah. That's enough, Vina. Let's put an end to the fable. Tell Morgan to cast me in a better light in her memoir, Dagda. Use more refined words, at least.
[Allerdale channeled her Arts as wind blows.]
Siege	What's going on?
Dagda	The wind...
A gust of wind blows them outside. One solemn face falls after another, as the statues of the kings collapse, one by one. The rubble separates them from the Steam Knight... and someone else. Siege immediately reacts.
Siege	Allerdale!
Allerdale	Forgive me...
Her lips move slightly. Siege knows Allerdale called to her. Was it "Vina"? Or "Your Highness"? Siege does not know. She may never know. The sound is drowned by the rubble. The door is shut.
<Background black>
Allerdale	Alright, come now, my nightmare... My hope.
"The Last Steam Knight"	(Heavy gushing)
One scene floats to the surface of the Steam Knight's tumultuous memories. A girl sheds tears for him before he stands up.
<Background 4>
[Totter, now joining with the unidentified assailants, cornered Morgan and Indra.]
Indra	Pah– Son of a–
Morgan	There's nowhere to run!
Totter	Last smoke grenade. We still have a chance.
Morgan	You've done enough, mercenary. Surrender, and they might let you live.
Totter	No way. How many more years would I have to work?
???	Enough. End this.
[Siege shows up with the Sighs of Kings in hand.]
Siege	Were you the ones manipulating Allerdale? No, it's not you. The cowardly dukes wouldn't dare show their faces here.
???	Allerdale has failed. Alexandrina has the Sighs of Kings. What a boring conclusion.
Siege	...... You know what? You will do. You will pay for all that you've done!
[Siege strikes down the assailants with her warhammer.]
<Background 5>
Act 4 –––––– Finale
[The spotlights center on the children portraying a knight and a tyrant.]
Tyrant	Stop, traitor!
Knight	Nothing can stop me. You must pay for your crimes.
Tyrant	You will die with me!
Knight	The death of the flesh does not daunt me. Countless eyes will bear witness. Brave children, you will carry the torch. You will remember my virtues, and take this hard-earned peace into tomorrow.
[Claps are heard.]
<Background fades out and in>
Golding	The end.
Molly	That was wonderful, Lady Golding. A great success.
Golding	The product of a year of everyone's hard work. I wish we were in more peaceful times. That way, Heidi could have been here to see it.
Molly	It's times like these that we need a play like this. Look how happy the kids are–
[The children runs past Golding and Molly (the Damazti Cluster).]
Molly	Hey, Leo! Don't run with the props!
Naughty Child	Get back here!
Innocent Child	Get back here!
Naughty Child	Run, run! I'll come for you! Great Victoria will come for you! Hie over the valleys and over the rivers, rumble-ye-rumble... Crush them! Squeeze the blood from them! Die! You'll all die! I'll catch you and kill you!
Innocent Child	Squeeze it out!
Naughty Child	Surrender, Sarkaz!
Innocent Child	Surrender!
Naughty Child	Or not, because I'll catch you!
Molly	Stop! You're ruining Lady Golding's handmade "Steam Armor"!
Golding	...... They...
Molly	Don't be angry, Lady Golding. They're just playing a game.
Golding	A game...?
Molly	Yes. The play has ended.
Golding	"Squeeze the blood from them"? It's... the Sarkaz...
She sees before her eyes the red that filled the bookstore. She does not even have the strength to vomit.
Molly	It's normal. We're in a war, after all. The Sarkaz have been arresting people left and right, often in violent ways. The children see them, and emulate their behavior.
Golding	...... Do you know, Molly...? Many remnants of Gaul harbor fear of the Steam Knights. Those who were part of the war will never forget the sound of steam gushing outside their window that night. But I had hoped that the Steam Knights would be more than just a weapon of death to the children. I had hoped that there would be beautiful hope in their hearts when they play the Steam Knight. I thought this was a war I could win.
Golding's gaze follows the children. The foam-made steam armor falls to the ground. She tries to pick it up, but pulls back sharply, as though she's been burned.
Golding	I thought I was teaching the children... Now, I realize that they were the ones teaching me a lesson. This, here, is the ending. The true ending. Before the wheels of time... What we do may be utterly meaningless. The lessons of the books are distant, blurred. But no one can avoid being shaped by the times. If they belong to blood, violence and war... Then, our children will belong to blood, violence and war. This is unavoidable. What... what should I... How could I dream of fighting it?