Operation story: 12-3

Operation

Story

Previous 12-2	Next 12-4
Characters
Doctor Amiya Ascalon Dagda Feist Horn Indra Ines Logos Morgan Rockrock Siege Catherine Closure Clovisia Golding Lt. Colonel Lettou Misery "Trilby Asher" Self-Salvation Corps Fighter
Backgrounds
1 2 3

Before operation

“

The Self-Salvation Corps suffers internal strife over their course of action, while Siege insists on returning to Norport Borough to back up her Glasgow friends. At the same time, all Self-Salvation Corps bases find themselves under assault. The situation is dire.

”

<Background 1>
Clovisia	Amiya, Doctor. You're here. Haha, as you can see, the morale here... is rather low right now. It's a mess, but please pay it no mind. Ever since Allerdale... left, our logistics have been in shambles. But given the problems we face, this is the best solution we have. We lost many men in our last battle. We once thought that these sacrifices would not be in vain, and that as long as we stopped the Sarkaz's projects, everything would still be salvageable. Regrettably, they acted much faster than we anticipated. The Sarkaz... Not only do they have the Shard, they also built that "airship." The report has been distributed to everyone. The airship attacked the Duke of Windermere's army out in the open. The illusion of peace has shattered. As for the Shard... if the Sarkaz willingly started this war, then their control of the Shard... must have proceeded much further along than we expected. I'm too afraid to make this gamble.
Siege	Allerdale once told me the legend of this sword. She said that the Sighs of Kings, capable of rending Catastrophes asunder, is Victoria's strongest shield, with which the country can defend against the storms pulled toward it.
Clovisia	Then she must also have told you that the "Stone of the Sword" beneath the palace exists precisely because there are few who can activate this power.
Dagda	Siege, do you really feel nothing from the sword? Maybe... I don't know, like a sense of being summoned? Or perhaps there's a low heat? Maybe you can suddenly use some really wicked Originium Arts? You just... might actually be able to...
[Siege takes a glance at the Sighs of Kings she carry.]
Siege	... No, nothing. The sword is cold and hard. It's a little lighter to swing than a hammer, and not very easy to control your strength with.
Dagda	Is there nothing else? If any part of you feels a little bit off–
Siege	We should have this polished before it sees the battlefield again. It's a little rusted.
Clovisia	It seems we can't count on the sword doing us much of a good turn and helping us fend off the threat from the Shard for the time being.
Doctor	But it also won't become a bargaining chip in the dukes' internal strife. / The Sarkaz might just think twice before they activate the Shard.
Clovisia	Right, Doctor of Rhodes Island. It is better for this sword to be under our control than any other faction. At the very least, being able to prevent it from becoming an accomplice to this war is important enough.
Siege	Important enough...? This is important enough... (Hushed) Allerdale, if only I...
Amiya	Please don't get discouraged, Siege. Maybe you just haven't gotten the hang of it, or it's not time yet.
Siege	......
Closure	I'm just about done analyzing that supply line, Doctor. It's practically guaranteed that the starting point is rural Brentwood, but it's got a lot of endpoints. Aside from the munitions factory in Highbury, it's very likely they have a route that extends right underneath the Shard. Argh, we found out way too late. If only we'd found out a month–no, ten days sooner, things probably wouldn't have turned out the way they have.
Ascalon	That said, the intel about this supply route is still meaningful, Doctor. If this route is capable of the transport of heavy supplies and leads straight to the bottom of the Shard–
Doctor	We can transport more than supplies there. / This is an opportunity for a counter-offensive.
Ascalon	That's right. With war having broken out, there may not be a lot of guards around Theresis. Each lord of the Royal Court has to command their subordinates to fend off the dukes. The liches joining the fray would be a problem... but from what I know about them, they wouldn't truly pick a side. Besides, I'm sure Dame Kal'tsit talked to their Messenger before. I just hope that they opted to follow her advice. Now, we'd best–
Indra	Vina, you ought to at least bring up what happened in Norport! It's our turf that those Sarkaz arseholes gutted out! Baird is still there! Bloody bastards! Instead of a counter-offensive on their supply line, we should be helping them!
Dagda	Calm down. We must think about the whole situation...
Indra	You little twat, you think being a knight gives you the right to teach me to look at the big picture? I don't give a shite about wiping out some old Sarkaz monsters. My friends are in danger. My home is in danger! And you want me to bloody stand aside and do nothing?!
Dagda	No, I know you're restless, but we must consider all possibilities.
Clovisia	I do not recommend splitting up. Until we are certain the ones who attempted to take the Realmblade have given up, you'd best...
Indra	Best cower underground like cowards? Give me a break! We can take care of those sneaky bastards! What we have to do now is–
Siege	Enough, Indra.
Indra	I... Fine.
Siege	When will the operation targeting Theresis commence?
Ascalon	Not very soon. We need time to observe the supply line's specific situation. The Shard's internal structure needs to be investigated too. Theresis... He's powerful. Letting our guards down would only spell our doom.
Siege	How long will it take more specifically?
Ascalon	Less than half a month. I hope to put a stop to all this before he truly activates the Shard.
Siege	That's good enough. Dr. {nickname}, I am requesting a temporary leave before this operation. Please rest assured that I will be back before the operation is to commence.
Clovisia	So you insist on going to Norport.
Siege	I've lost enough friends already, Clovisia. I can't just do nothing over and over again. I am making this request out of my personal feelings, yes. I won't try to hide this. But at the same time, I think this is an opportunity. Before our normal operation officially begins, we can first remove certain hidden threats. For example... those who hurt Allerdale and those who want the Sighs of Kings. That's without a doubt a duke. No matter what position he is planning to take, I think... I should have a... conversation with him.
Clovisia	Ascalon said this already, but time is not on our side.
Siege	I understand. I will handle this properly.
Clovisia	Doctor, what do you think?
Doctor	...... There are still things worthy of our attention on that plate.
Amiya	Right... The Sarkaz airship is very likely docked in Norport. And this also implies... She... Theresa might be there. In this war, we will have to face her sooner or later.
Clovisia	There is another thing. Logos mentioned to me–
[Suddenly a dispatch came through.]
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	Emergency... ission... Emergency... The Sarkaz ambushed... the Camden Borough safe house... We.... Their forces... Urghh–
[The dispatch abruptly ends.]
Rockrock	Camden? What's going on?
[Another dispatch came through.]
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	Alert... The safe house at Auchterigg... ...being ambushed...
[The dispatch abruptly ends as another came through.]
Catherine	Feist! The safe house in Highbury is under attack!
Feist	What's the situation over there?
Catherine	We're mounting a counter attack and are evacuating underground. The situation's dire. It's likely that the Sarkaz have... This is not a simple annihilation. They are planning to... ...must...
[The dispatch abruptly ends.]
Feist	Granny? Granny, do you hear me? Drat, the transmission's cut off! What's going on? We have three safe houses under attack by the Sarkaz! Their communications have been cut off. We must back them up immediate–
Clovisia	...... No, it's not just the three safe houses. Our communications have been cut off.
Siege	Get down, Doctor!
[Suddenly an explosion occurs in the safe house.]
Rockrock	Clovisia, what's going on?! How can this be? Here...? This place is top-secret within the Self-Salvation Corps!
Clovisia	Logos mentioned to me that it's possible the Sarkaz have infiltrated our intelligence network. Based on the situation we now find ourselves in, I can only assume that the failure of our confidentiality far exceeds what we anticipated. It's very likely that all Self-Salvation Corps bases are under attack.
Rockrock	We must evacuate!
Clovisia	...... Where can we go, though...?
[More explosions occur as the safe house came under attack.]
Horn	Everyone, the Sarkaz assault is fierce. They've had their eyes on this place for a long time, and the routes on the surface have already fallen. They–
[The Kazdelian attackers broke through the safe house's defenses.]
Misery	The mid-level buffer zone has been breached, too. Doctor, the enemy is using a new Sarkaz witchcraft device. With their numbers and strength... Our Defense Forces and Self-Salvation Corps friends won't be able to withstand this assault.
Horn	Truth be told, we have no chance of winning. Robben, who's in charge of organizing defense, won't last very long.
Clovisia	How much time can they buy us?
Horn	Fifteen minutes... No, half an hour. That's all the time we have.
Clovisia	Evacuate? Where are we supposed to run? There isn't anywhere safe for the Self-Salvation Corps to go in Londinium! The equipment factory's third warehouse? The carpark at the Four Seasons Department Store? Maybe Viscount Byrne's mansion...? No, they're all too risky. There has to be somewhere else...
Doctor	If it's dangerous everywhere in Londinium, we can evacuate the city for the time being.
Clovisia	Evacuate Londinium? But... Right! The Sarkaz supply line! We can use the supply line in Highbury and get the hell out of Londinium! We've got too many wounded men and non-combatants. Taking an underground route will help us avoid most of the fighting!
Feist	But all our work in Londinium...
Horn	The onslaught we are facing tells us that they simply thought they had no need to wipe us out before. Now that war has broken out, the Military Commission has started to truly see the Self-Salvation Corps as a threat.
[The Kazdelians are closing in.]
Horn	We have no time to hesitate. I need to head out immediately to back Robben up. We will try to draw the Sarkaz main force's attention the best we can to cover your evacuation.
Clovisia	Very well. Amiya, Doctor. The Self-Salvation Corps will need your assistance in this evacuation.
Amiya	We will never abandon our allies.
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Ascalon, mount a breakout.
Ascalon	Understood.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Misery, destroy all files.
Misery	I am on it.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Doctor	Logos.
Logos	I'm here.
Doctor	Help Horn and her team buy us time.
Logos	Rest assured, Doctor. I will guarantee your safety. Before we could finalize plans to relocate and secure our communications... The Royal Court picked the perfect time for this annihilation operation.
Doctor	It seems they know us better than we ever imagined.
Logos	Theresis has also gotten sharper... not like when he was simply pretending. If it's certain that this place will fall, I guess... it won't matter if we go all out.
Rockrock	Logos, we will be back!
Logos	You can rebuild this place.
[Logos heads off to assist in the defense.]
Clovisia	Next, we need to find the entrance to the Highbury supply route.
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Feist, this is where you come in.
Feist	Understood. Everyone, come with me.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Rockrock, you know the underground passages better than anyone.
Rockrock	Rest assured, I will evacuate safely with the wounded.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Doctor	Closure, take all the wounded and non-combatants and go with them. I'm counting on you and Shining to take care of Kal'tsit.
Closure	Wha? Huh? Hey, Dr. {nickname}, what kind of sick joke is this?! If I'm supposed to be a non-combatant, then so are you! You bet your ass I can beat the crap out of you! It's you who should be evacuating with the rest of them!
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Amiya and Ascalon will make sure I will be safe.
Amiya	Doctor... I won't let you get hurt.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	We will hold the Sarkaz pursuers. This is the safest way.
Closure	Tsk, crafty dipshit.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Closure	So, we've got three teams. Horn, Misery, and Logos will lead the primary operation to resist the Sarkaz assault. Doctor, you go with Amiya and Siege's gang to hold the other Sarkaz pursuers. Shining and I will follow the rest of the Self-Salvation Corps and evacuate this place without making any noise. Where are we gonna meet up in the end?
Amiya	The small town outside Londinium... Brentwood.
Closure	Alright, objective confirmed.
Amiya	We're now in war. It won't spare any one of us. But we also... mustn't lose hope.

After operation

“

The entire Self-Salvation Corps plunges into a crisis because of Golding's mistake, and Lettou attempts to break her psychological defense. Meanwhile, the Duke of Caster's emissary, the "Trilby Asher," provides Rhodes Island an opportunity for cooperation.

”

<Background 2>
[Someone knocks the door.]
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Come in.
[Golding enters the room.]
Golding	......
Lt. Colonel Lettou	You're here, Golding.
Golding	Lettou... You know us better than I ever imagined.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	What do you mean?
Golding	The Londinium Self-Salvation Corps. Where did you get this information from?
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Does it matter? Have a seat, Lady Golding. Please, there is no reason for you to feel anxious. This war is not between you and I.
Golding	Answer me, Lt. Colonel.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	I know why you came, Golding. You want to buy time. You are under the impression you have enough leverage to discuss terms. You think you can still help your friends. How regrettable. I thought you would be wiser.
Golding	We had a conversation not too long ago. You said you did not want to see Londinium become the next Lingones. Take a look around us. Take a look at the deep abyss that Londinium is plunging into. Is this the choice you made for yourself that you spoke about?
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Golding... Didn't you rebut me on that? Correct, we are plunging toward that abyss. War has begun. War once tore apart Gaul, our homeland. What will it tear apart this time? Maybe it will be the Sarkaz. Maybe it'll be Victoria.
Golding	You know how disastrous this will be. Hundreds of thousands... Millions of people will–
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Will bleed, die, and buried by this era.
Golding	You know that better than anyone!
Lt. Colonel Lettou	That is correct. I know this very well, but I must also admit that it was you who opened my eyes. You made me reflect on my decision. If I had to question my conscience– I would not have cared nearly as much. Let us cast aside those hypocritical high hopes of "mankind" or "civilization," Golding. When we were young, we talked freely of these subjects and, with nothing but admiration in our hearts, sung the praises of the outstanding men and women in history. Mankind, the master of all things! Our intelligence and bravery set us apart from wild beasts and graced these lands with this radiant miracle! But if we simply lifted our heads from the books and compare, we would realize how close their endings are to the reality before us. The same downfalls, the same rottennesses, the same self-destructions. What if all those things we sing the praises of were nothing but temporary illusions? What if believing that they are eternal makes us naive? What if destruction was our true nature?
Golding	You weren't so pessimistic before, Lettou.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Pessimistic. Golding, you are so kind with your choice of words. You described my crazed musings as just "pessimistic." I thought I warranted harsher criticism.
Golding	......
Lt. Colonel Lettou	It seems... you are not as resolute as I thought you would be. I am simply... exhausted. I merely started to try facing reality. It is very painful, but I have no other choice. As for the conversation we had the other day, I can now offer you a new answer. I did not choose any missions for myself, Lady Golding. ...... I only wanted to survive... the ceaseless destruction. It's pitiful and weak, insignificant and inadequate, but this is the answer I arrived at, and it is the only one I have to offer. What else can I do?
Golding	You're a soldier. You should've...!
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Followed orders? Whose orders should I have followed? The King is dead, the Sarkaz run the parliament, and each duke has his own master plan.
Golding	You could have–
Lt. Colonel Lettou	–become a hero? At what cost? What if the price... is not one that I can afford? When you walked into the room, did you see the eyes of the guard standing by the door? The officers under me, my comrades, and those bewildered young men... Till has five children, Sasan's mother has been paralyzed for three years, and Totten's brother has Oripathy. The vampires will suck their blood dry.
Golding	Bowing down will not prevent anything.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	At the very least... Nothing has happened yet, as of today. Golding, it's my hope that you survive this as well, speaking personally. Fundamentally, you and I might just be of a kind. It's only that I have chosen to give up, while you are still standing firm.
Golding	You and I are nothing alike.
Lt. Colonel Lettou	You asked me where I obtained the information on the Londinium Self-Salvation Corps. Very well, I shall answer you. From a cowardly teacher.
Golding	What are you saying...?
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Look at yourself, Golding. Your blunders and the tracks you left behind are owed to your cowardice and fear. Sentimental kinds have never been a good fit for intelligence work. You've known that from the start.
Golding	No, it can't be!
Lt. Colonel Lettou	There's been a lot of chatter on my communications here.
[Lt. Col. Lettou tunes in his communicator to pick up the Eartha transmissions.]
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	The Sarkaz ambushed... the Camden Borough safe house... We.... Their forces...
[...]
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	Alert... The safe house at Auchterigg...
[...]
Self-Salvation Corps Fighter	Hello? Can anyone hear me? This is the Magna Borough safe house. We're under...
[Lt. Col. Lettou turns off his communicator.]
Golding	No...!
Lt. Colonel Lettou	Golding, they are dying because of you. You pushed them into the fire. This is what your "fight" brings. And for that, I can only mourn.
<Background 3>
[Ascalon and the others break through the Kazdelians in the street.]
Ascalon	There's too many men. They're well-equipped, and they're working far too well with each other. Mercenaries aren't capable of this. These are military elites. Each and every one of them is a bloodthirsty machine who dug his way out of a thousand battles.
Indra	Out of the way, the lot of ya!
[Indra charges through a Kazdelian soldier...]
Morgan	Indra, watch your back!
[...as two more is about to strike her from the back, but Siege took them down.]
Siege	This isn't going to work. We are on the back foot right now.
Ascalon	I will locate the position of their commander. Amiya, maintain formation. Don't stop.
Amiya	I-I got it!
Dagda	Damn, there's more of them down this alley!
Siege	Stay close, Doctor. We will cut our way through!
"Go forward three hundred meters and take the first left."
Siege	! Who's that?!
"Hurry up. There are more ambushers on the roof."
Amiya	Doctor, did you hear that? That voice...
Dagda	Watch out for their Arts! Cut through this danger zone!
Amiya	Hold on tight, Doctor.
[Amiya goes after the mysterious voice with the others following.]
<Background fades out and in>
[As everyone runs through the alleys...]
"Left."
Doctor	Let's listen to that voice. / We have to give it a shot.
Indra	I hate being ordered around! Tsk, fine!
[Everyone keeps moving.]
<Background fades out and in>
"Fifty meters, and to your right."
Indra	Bloody... That's a wall there!
Siege	No... Some kind of illusion, perhaps? Charge through it!
[Siege charges through the wall, it somehow breaks down easily.]
<Background fades out and in>
[As everyone heads through the broken wall...]
Indra	*pant*...*pant*.... There's no one I hate more than a sneaky bastard like you! Show yourself!
"That assassin of yours has already taken down the commander of your pursuers. You are safe for the time being."
Indra	I said, show yourself!
"Her name is Ascalon, is it? Impressive."
Amiya	! Doctor, behind me. Who are you?
"Please, there is no need to fret, dear Rhodes Islanders. A few of my colleagues just touched base with Alexandrina not too long ago. Alas, it did not go too well."
Siege	You are... the man behind Allerdale.
[Siege readies her warhammer and slams it to the ground.]
Siege	Show yourself. I won't say it again.
[The mysterious individual can be seen behind the alley.]
???	Please lower your hammer, Your Highness. You are merely wasting your strength. As heir to the throne–from a certain viewpoint, at least–you should have a bit more patience. You said so yourself not too long ago. That we should have... a "conversation."
Siege	You had the Self-Salvation Corps tapped.
???	Their evacuation plan will be successful. Do note that this is a promise, not sarcasm.
[The mysterious man reveals himself as a man in black suit wearing a tall trilby hat.]
???	My sincerest pleasure to meet all of you, ladies and gentlemen. I hope there yet remains room for our objectives to coexist.
Dagda	An ashen trilby...?
???	Very perceptive, Lady Isabelle Montague. I should have expected no less from a scion of the Count of Manchester. Indeed, we are often referred to as the "Trilby Ashers." Should you have the chance, please send your mother my regards.
Dagda	You–
"Trilby Asher"	Please, there is no need for alarm, Lady Montague. I harbor no ill will against you and your friends, at the moment.
Ascalon	Is the Arts gimmick you have over there a gesture of your goodwill, too? I'm not fond of having conversations next to a pile of explosives.
"Trilby Asher"	This is merely a precaution.
Ascalon	Well then, here's a precaution, too.
"Trilby Asher"	Lower your weapon, Miss Ascalon. This is not worth it. Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, made a series of passage and call permit requests for so-called "industrial waste recycling and processing" purposes, currently hiding within the territory of the Duke of Gododdin. Currently six hundred and thirty-one kilometers away from Londinium.
Amiya	...... And what if we are?
"Trilby Asher"	Miss Amiya, I surmise your recycling work is proceeding apace?
Doctor	You know Rhodes Island well. / ...... / Looks like the Victorian bigwigs aren't completely oblivious to us.
"Trilby Asher"	We do merely what must be done. You have been very careful. You charted your course and built a well-hidden supply network around your ship. You wish to avoid Victoria's attention. And you almost fooled us. Regardless of whether your intentions are good or otherwise, wouldn't you agree that discretion is the worst quality there is to a ruler?
Doctor	Who do you serve, Mr. "Trilby Asher?"
"Trilby Asher"	If at all possible, I would say that I serve Victoria. Alas, the reality is that I serve only a small part of Victoria. This small part is more than enough to keep me well occupied, however.
Doctor	Which means you work for one of the dukes. If the Duke of Wellington saw us as a threat– Rhodes Island would already have been attacked. The Duke of Windermere's control has yet to reach Duke Gododdin's territory. Not by a long shot. From what I know, the Duke of Normandy is more interested in business. Most other dukes are fence sitters. You work for Caster.
"Trilby Asher"	"Doctor," the commander of Rhodes Island... There exists very little information on you. We were under the impression that this was due to a lack of importance. We will reevaluate our internal appraisal.
Doctor	What is Rhodes Island worth to that "part of Victoria" you speak of?
"Trilby Asher"	We actually do not have much of an interest in a so-called pharmaceutical company that deals in waste recycling. But your operator has a very unique background. Moreover, she possesses something important.
Siege	You've failed once, but you still haven't given up.
"Trilby Asher"	This is my job, Your Highness. Let us not make things harder for each other. This sword is nothing more than a heavy rod of iron in your hands. What do you intend to do with it? Can you really cut through the Catastrophe that looms above us? It is a mere tale. You cannot wield it to its true potential.
Siege	What does Duke of Caster want to do with it, then?
"Trilby Asher"	To fulfill a promise.
Siege	A promise?
"Trilby Asher"	To bring her followers peace and safety. We do indeed have certain... technologies that can immediately put this blade to good use, just as the Sighs of Kings once sheltered Londinium. The Duke wishes for this blade to become a turning point for unity.
Siege	In that case, those who aren't on your side will deservedly be swallowed by the Catastrophe.
"Trilby Asher"	That is how it will become that turning point.
<Background black>
Ascalon	(Doctor, I will make my move in three seconds. We must escape this situation.) (Our operators on the landship are more than capable of taking care of the crisis that could soon unfold... and so we have to take this risk.)
Ascalon	(Three.) (Two.) (One.)
???	All of you seem pretty tense. Perhaps I came at a bad time?
Ascalon	– Right on time. Ines.
Ines	Mr. "Trilby Asher," you have to admit that you came well-prepared. Thirteen small communication stations, with four of them triggered passively. They were set up to automatically send out orders if they don't receive your message after ten minutes. I didn't want to venture a guess as to what orders they were meant to send out, so I took the liberty of crushing them all. I hope you don't mind. Your subordinates were very strong, even after they heard the word Vampire. That said, I believe that aside from the Sarkaz Royal Court, there are certain others hiding in the city who would be very interested to learn of their existence. Tell me, where do you suppose I should take them?
<Background 3>
"Trilby Asher"	Ines, former Sarkaz mercenary... It's hardly surprising that you are still alive. We've determined for some time now that someone was behind all these little tricks around Londinium. You've done very well. We know that there is a sizable number of Sarkaz mercenaries inclined to leave the Military Commission's control, but we both know that does not come without a cost, don't we? Your business partner... might be in fairly dire straits.
Ines	...... Perhaps we should be a little more blunt with each other. I know you have more tricks up your sleeve, and you know we still have some trump cards in our hand. Let's stop probing each other. Your shadow tells me you are wavering.
"Trilby Asher"	...... Very well. Let's make a deal. I have a tricky mission, but as you can see, I am not much for fighting and adventure.
Ines	So you want someone to die in your stead.
"Trilby Asher"	I have faith in your abilities. Certainly you have already seen the airship that is currently parked at the now-isolated Norport Borough. Make your way there and get your hands on its schematics.
Doctor	What's in it for me?
"Trilby Asher"	You get to live. For now. You, your friends, your allies, your wounded, and your landship all get to remain alive for the time being. This is no trouble at all to Victoria, but as for the rest of you...
Doctor	...... Deal.