Operation story: 14-6

Operation

Story

Previous 14-5	Next 14-7
Characters
Paprika Hoederer Ines Ascalon W W Nadine Ulšulah Manfred Qalid'čoa Qalid'čoa Theresa Timid Mercenary Sarkaz Warrior Babel Squad Member Babel Member Hornless Assassin Empty Whispers
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6

Before operation

Summary Manfred's troops approach Lifebone with Ulšulah's help. W engages Qalid'čoa and unexpectedly learns the truth of Theresa's rebirth.
<Background 1>
Timid Mercenary	Paprika, Paprika!
Paprika	Hey, stay still!
Timid Mercenary	Let's run for it!
Paprika	What are you talking about?
Timid Mercenary	Haven't you noticed? The mercenaries under that W are all gone. The Military Commission's troops must have arrived.
Paprika	All the more reason to not run around and get caught in the crossfire.
Timid Mercenary	Don't forget it was the Military Commission that hired us! If they've come, it's curtains for the guys here! If we make a run for it now, we could still explain things to General Manfred!
Paprika	You want to go back to him?! He'll just send you back to Victoria to kill more people. Is that what you want?
Timid Mercenary	You think we have a choice? What do you think the General will do to us when he finds out that we surrendered? I'll run errands if they tell me to run errands, and I'll kill if they tell me to kill. Whatever it takes to survive. You want to stay, that's your choice. I'm going. Goodbye.
[The mercenary runs off, but he doesn't get far as he gets caught in a rocket blast.]
<Background fades out>
Fifty hours into the operation...
<Background 2>
Nadine	Aren't you the lucky one, Major Ulšulah. It's not every day that you get to lose a critical objective, be captured by the enemy, and still make it back in one piece. Looks like you got along well with your old Scar Market buddies.
Ulšulah	Watch your tone, Nachzehrer. It's not your place to judge my failure.
Manfred	Regardless of the circumstances, Major Ulšulah's survival is good news for the Military Commission.
Ulšulah	General Manfred, I—
Manfred	I know about the Sanguinarch's death. You can explain later. As for now, I hope you've returned with something of value.
Ulšulah	I have the skeleton's location... and details about the mercenaries guarding it.
Nadine	That's all? Sounds like it would've been more worth it if you had stayed in the hands of those mercenaries.
Manfred	I want to hear what you think.
Ulšulah	The mercenaries are trying to reawaken the Feranmut skeleton. Whatever their plans are, it has something to do with them. I don't know what they're plotting, but they don't have a lot of people guarding the skeleton, for some reason.
Manfred	Is Hoederer among them?
Ulšulah	...Yes.
Manfred	... Surround the canyon. Take back the spine, no matter the cost.
Nadine	Yes, sir!
Ulšulah	General Manfred, for the upcoming battle—
Manfred	You won't be needed. Stay in the rear.
Ulšulah	...Yes, sir. As a precaution, may I ask... What are your plans if we're unable to take back the skeleton quickly?
Manfred	... I don't enjoy such hypotheticals, Ulšulah.
<Background 3>
[The sound of cannonfire can be heard nearby.]
Hoederer	Manfred's troops are here. They're a little earlier than expected.
Ines	What about the Royal Court's men? Nothing from Ulšulah?
Hoederer	She got away. It's my fault...
Ines	... We'll talk about this later.
Hoederer	Where's W?
Ines	She went out to scout the battlefield. Worst case scenario, she'll run into the enemy before we do.
Ascalon	If Ulšulah got back to Manfred, they may have information on our current location and defenses. We're significantly outnumbered. A prolonged fight doesn't favor us.
[There is the sound of explosions in the distance.]
Hoederer	It's been fifty hours since the Doctor's team set out. Any news?
Ines	Nothing.
Hoederer	We have to hold out until the agreed time.
Ines	Given our odds, the only way to hold off the Military Commission for a day is if they were struck by a Catastrophe. But as things stand, even Catastrophes are at their command. The Military Commission won't let this weapon fall into our hands and threaten their aerial supremacy. They'll come at us with everything they have.
Hoederer	We'll have to take the chance.
Ascalon	What do you mean?
Hoederer	The chance that Manfred doesn't want to destroy the skeleton either.
Ines	I hope you really know Manfred as well as you think you do. One last question. What happens if we don't get word from the Doctor when the agreed time has passed?
Hoederer	Then we abandon the skeleton. There's no point fighting to the death. Evacuation comes first. Our main priority is always to keep as many people alive as we can.
Ascalon	Reasonable. No objections.
Hoederer	There's another way that might delay the Royal Court's attack... Killing their commander. Ascalon.
Ascalon	Agreed. I'll kill him.
It's freezing. I don't want to admit it, but I can feel my heart race. Damn, stop trembling! It's just like that time when I had to face Talulah alone—no, even worse. This strange figure must be the master of those monsters and this realm. Yet, I sense no hostility from him—it's as if my presence is not worth his attention. He just keeps hacking at the crystallized bones with his axe without even looking my way. Did he kill all these people? I have my finger on my trigger, but I can't move an inch. Pull yourself together, W! Haven't you seen your fair share of monsters by now? Find out who he is, and what this cavern has to do with Theresa. Pry it out of his mouth, if that's what it takes.
<Background 4>
W	Alright, I don't have time to waste on you, you sorry piece of wood. I have a few questions, and your answers will decide whether my next move is to throw bombs at your face or not. This is a Confessarius altar. Are you a Confessarius?
Clank. Clank. The relentless and haunting sound of axe striking bone echoes through the cavern, as if carrying the weight of eras forgotten. He slowly opens his mouth to speak.
???	I am a servant of Qui'sartuštaj, the King of Sarkaz. The bloodline of the King perseveres through life and death. If he who serves the King of Sarkaz is a Confessarius, then a Confessarius, I am.
[W arms her grenade launcher.]
W	So you can talk. I'll give you a chance to introduce yourself before I shoot. What is this place? What does it have to do with the Confessarii?
???	Qa... lid'čoa... "The Key".
Qalid'čoa	But this key opens no door, not anymore. Now, I am merely the warden of this deep, dark tomb.
W	What are you talking about? A tomb? For who?
Qalid'čoa	The countless heroes of Kazdel, and the foes who died at their hands. The Gravebearer, the Magnificent Eight, the Brave Eleven... all have fallen in the course of history, and I have buried many of them. Here lies their weapons and armor, remnants of the past.
W	You must be joking. You knew all those people? Don't tell me, you're as ancient as that old hag? I don't know why you old freaks keep clinging to the past. Are you going to let yesterday's bad jam stop you from eating today? Okay... I need to workshop that.
Qalid'čoa	Many emerged from that epoch of heroes, becoming the new hope of the Sarkaz, time and again... But all of them failed, joining the ashes and dust in this tomb. You stand upon the sword of Qui'lon, the Wrathful Cerulean Flame. Theresis left it here, because he refused to use it. Still, it is not proper to step upon it.
W	Qui'lon? Isn't he a character in myths and legends— You're not playing me for a fool, are you?
Damn, I took a step back without even realizing it. Why should I believe him? And why shouldn't I step on Qui'lon's sword, even if it was real?
Qalid'čoa	I have answered your questions. Now you shall answer, mine. Why do you trespass upon this place?
Clank. The axe swings again. The shockwave almost makes W take another step back.
W	I'm here to pick a fight with the Confessarii. What's that altar used for? Tell me, or else!
Qalid'čoa	... The mission of this altar has ended. No one visits this place anymore, except fools who stumble upon it.
That strange fellow answered all my questions with flat interest. Clearly, he'd rather return to this work with the axe than engage with me. I've lashed out at him, but my anger was met with no response. It's like throwing stones into a bottomless pit. What did he mean? He's not with the Confessarii? Shouldn't he have come after me with his axe the moment the words left my mouth?
W	Hey, I'm talking to you—
[W fires her grenade launcher at him.]
The smoke clears, but the gaunt figure remains upright. I didn't think I could take him out with a single bomb, but seriously, not even a scratch?
Qalid'čoa	Futile. This vessel will never change again. A failed vessel that has been denied both eternal life as the instrument of the Crown's coming, and the sweet release of death.
W	So you're one of the Confessarii's failed experiments too? You feel bad for yourself? I could free you from your suffering.
[W launches several mines.]
Qalid'čoa	It is but futile.
The man swings his stone axe and bats away W's bomb, as though swatting away a fly.
Good, I got a response from him. That means there's a chance! Three, two—
<Background flashes>
The bomb falls exactly where I expected it to. A section of the cavern collapses, trapping him beneath, but not enough to kill him. I point my gun at his head.
W	You said the Confessarii made you indestructible? Let's see if I can't blow a hole in your brain at this range. The Confessarii like their experiments, don't they? Did you guys make those bighead moths? Disgusting den of monsters. Cut the poetry and answer my questions. Did you know Theresa?
Qalid'čoa	The exiled one has had the honor of seeing that King of Sarkaz... This, is where the tragic King was reborn.
W	—! This is the place... they... how did they do it?
Qalid'čoa	The Confessarii brought the King's bloodied body back, and cut her soul from the myriad. But she was already entwined within the myriad, and could no longer exist as herself.
W turns around, toward the altar in the center of the cavern. The menacing building looks unnerving and smells faintly of blood.
What had happened here? I dare not think about it, but I can't stop myself.
W	Why...?
Qalid'čoa	The present of Sarkaz needed her to die. The future of Sarkaz needed her to live. As the King of Sarkaz, she gave her all, her spirit and her wisdom, her blood and her bone. You followed the King's path as her former subject, but she is no longer the one you knew. I saw her awakening, the sorrow on her face. I saw the weight on her soul, her eternal torment.
W	Enough... shut up.
Qalid'čoa	She was a sacrifice to the myriad souls, to Kazdel, to all the past and future Sarkaz.
W	I said SHUT UP!
[W blasts Qalid'čoa with her grenade launcher.]
<Background Black>
I've had enough... Kal'tsit, Doctor, Theresis... all of you. All of you have your big dreams and ambitions. You talk about doing great things. But did it change anything in the end? People keep dying, the people who should die, the people who shouldn't, and the people who really shouldn't. And you won't even let her have her final rest! To hell with the myriad souls and the suffering of the Sarkaz. Why should a person have to bear all this burden? All of you can go to hell! I'll blow this place... the place of her desecration to oblivion.
[W destroys the Confessarius altar with a bomb.]
<Background 5>
W	*pant*... *pant*...
Dust fills the entire cavern. The decrepit ornaments lie in ruins. Yet, the explosions are not enough to quench her anger. In the deepest reaches of the cavern, a lone altar resembling a door remains.
Empty Whispers	...
W	What is this?
Empty Whispers	I...
W	Your Highness?
<Background fades out>
W pushes the door open.

After operation

Summary W hears Theresa's echo, and finally accepts that Theresa has joined the myriad souls. She lays down her burden and prepares to truly face Theresa.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 5>
W	Found you.
Sarkaz Warrior	... Crazy... you're crazy, just like they said.
W	I'm glad you already know. Then you must also know what I do to those who won't tell me what I want to know. Now talk. What are you people planning around Kazdel? What's behind this overly simple operation? Don't act like I'm stupid just because I don't care about all the ins and outs of Theresis giving up Kazdel.
Sarkaz Warrior	You didn't break free of my witchcraft. How long do you think you can last?
W	Until you beg for death on your knees and spit out everything you know.
Sarkaz Warrior	Hah. Mercenary... You think you're the special one that gets to live... everyone does, until death finally comes for them. Death forgets no one. The myriad souls are waiting. You won't escape, and neither will she... it's all futile.
W	What about you?
Sarkaz Warrior	Me? I'm happy to embrace my death. Say goodbye to weakness, Sarkaz. A new era has dawned. It belongs to us. Even if there's no place for "me" in "us".
[The Sarkaz commits suicide with an explosion.]
W	...
Babel Squad Member	W! Your hand... medic! We need a medic over here!
W	Damn, he triggered the grenade.
With the Sarkaz's death, his Arts cease; the mire fades and the stench of decay dissipates. Yet, why does the wilderness around them remain so dark? A sense of unease deepens. The expression on the Sarkaz warriors as they died was one of devotion. Why would such an expression appear on the faces of men like them?
W	Were you able to get in touch with HQ?
Babel Squad Member	Intra-squad communication has been partially restored. Heavy interference still prevents us from reaching headquarters, though. It's possible that Originium activity is spreading in the area. No need to worry, though. We haven't heard about any attacks on HQ. Plus, they have Her Highness and the Doctor there. We're one step away from winning this war.
W	... Where's the vehicle? We're going back now.
Babel Squad Member	But we haven't received further instructions. We could upset the Doctor's plans if we move without orders—
[The squad member's transceiver beeps.]
Babel Squad Member	Wait, I'm getting a message... it's from Scout! Scout says... ...
W	... ......
<Background RI Corridor DM>
Babel was merely a temporary refuge, no different from the countless others before it. Or so W had believed. True, there was always clean food and water, the badly wounded were not just left to die, and there were a few interesting guys around. But at the end of the day, it was all the same. Just a place to stay. It was not the first time W had lost her home, before she joined up with Hoederer and Ines. Sometimes, she would return to camp and find it in flames. Sometimes, she was the one who set it on fire. It was what she was used to. No Sarkaz truly believes in peace and quiet. Destruction was the norm. Conflict was the spice of life. But when she saw the collapsed columns, the blood stains in the corridors, and the doctors yelling instructions... For the first time, she felt a profound sense of... collapse.
<Background 6>
W	What happened—
[A Babel medic rushes past.]
Babel Member	Out of the way! Out of the way! Make way for the wounded! Make room in the sickbay—
W	...
Babel Member	Out of the way!
W	Where's Her Highness?
Babel Member	No idea. All security systems have failed. Dr. Kal'tsit is—look out!
[A Deathveil Assassin suddenly appears, nearly slicing W.]
Hornless Assassin	...
W	Did you do this?
Hornless Assassin	Sarkaz. It's over.
W	Don't say that.
[W clashes blades against the assassin.]
Hornless Assassin	Now I see. Her blood was no different from ours.
W	You—
Everything turns dark once more, like a curse that refuses to lift. Darkness engulfs the light, consuming it completely. No one can escape the night.
Hornless Assassin	The war is over, along with its strife. Listen, Sarkaz. Victory belongs to—
[The assassin collapses before he could finish.]
Hornless Assassin	...Urk.
A blade penetrates the assassin's chest.
Ascalon	Babel didn't give you any orders, W. What are you doing here?
W	You want to talk to me about violating orders? Now?
Ascalon	...
Ascalon looks at her. W had worked with Ascalon for a while now, but this was the first time she saw that look on her face, that look in her eyes. She did not even know that Ascalon was capable of such sorrow.
W	...Is what Scout said true?
Ascalon	You shouldn't have come back. Not now.
W	... Where's Her Highness?
Ascalon	Sweep the ship, W. Rhodes Island is not out of danger yet. Dr. Kal'tsit is busy dealing with emergencies. We're the only ones.
W	I'm asking you, where is Theresa?
Ascalon	Go to the mobility level. That's the most likely point of entry.
[W grips Ascalon's collar.]
W	Are you bloody deaf? You said she's dead. I want to see it with my own eyes.
Ascalon	Listen to me, Sarkaz mercenary W. Fulfill your duty, unless you want Babel to fall, and all her effort to be for naught.
[W lets go...]
W	Ah... Hah! You're worthless. All of you. Worthless. Why did I ever trust you? Why did I ever believe that you could—
[...and runs off.]
<Background Black>
Nothing's changed. Nothing ever did. All high and mighty, were they not, everyone on this ship? Didn't they spend all their time talking about their dreams, all their lofty ideals? Then why couldn't they even protect one person? All the things they've said, the things that I thought could be... I was the fool who believed. I...
[W runs up to Theresa's office and opens the door.]
I saw it. The blood and footprints in the Chairman's Room. There was nothing else left. It was like nothing was ever there. The darkness was thick and sticky. It always is. Theresa is dead. And I didn't even get to see her one last time.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 6>
W	Your Highness? What are you doing here...?
Theresa	...
W	The door's still—when did it get fixed? Guess Closure's good for something after all. The old hag too... Rhodes Island stayed together, barely, after you were gone. She did her best. So did the little bunny. I... I did my part, too. I... I wanted to see you again. Ever since I got to Londinium, I've wondered when I could... I never understood. Why did you always... always put yourself through so much... Just like how I never understood why you cared so much about that broken door...
Theresa	Theresa is gone.
W	What? Then who's standing right there? No... I must be dreaming. Why would Her Highness talk to me? Am I talking to myself?
Theresa	But the work of the Sarkaz is not done. I will give myself to our cause. For a future where all of us can sleep without fear.
W	I don't understand, but I believe you. What about you, then...?
Theresa	...
Theresa turns around and pushes the door.
It opens. Theresa walks through the door, followed by countless silhouettes. Their voices booming, their questions piercing. "The Sarkaz will never be saved." "No one can escape suffering, for we had once suffered. No one can escape hatred, for we had once hated." "All the senseless deaths, all the shattered hopes... where is paradise? Where is peace?" Theresa's steps are slow and heavy. W opens her mouth. What should she say? What could she say? She finally realizes that it was not a conversation she had just experienced, but an echo of Theresa. But she could not resist asking the shadow.
W	How can I save you, Your Highness, if you're still alive?
Theresa	Keep going. You will go further than I ever have.
W	How will I know I've gone far enough? If I killed you... will you be saved?
There is no answer. Theresa does not turn back. Neither do the silhouettes. Their footsteps are slow, but their direction remains unwavering. Theresa walks further into the light, almost out of sight.
W	Your Highness!
W finally lets out what she's been holding back.
W	Screw the myriad souls. Screw their sufferings. I'll bring peace back to you. Maybe you've never had true peace... but—ack, screw it! I'll... end it all. For you, Your Highness.
[The clacking of footsteps briefly pause before resuming.]
Did she see Theresa stop for a brief moment? W isn't sure.
She shimmers and blends into the light. Darkness returns once more.
<Background 4>
W	What was that?
Qalid'čoa	You heard the King's echo.
W	You're alive?!
Qalid'čoa appears behind W without her realizing. Neither the bombs nor the falling rocks left a mark on him. He comes up beside W and gently closes the door.
Qalid'čoa	Her Highness has left.
W	How could you be so calm when I just blew up your home?!
Qalid'čoa	Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. If destruction is evitable, why despair when it comes.
W	You don't let things get to you, I'll give you that... Honestly, I'm starting to find you interesting. Aren't you supposed to be really powerful? Didn't any of the Kings of Sarkaz try to send you to do something useful?
Qalid'čoa	The one I serve, Qui'sartuštaj, transcends history itself. He is a colossal titan in the vast river of time. I followed him in his wars. My sword, an instrument of death to his command. But my body, a failed vessel at extending his life.
W	Guess even the craziest among us have their loyalists.
Qalid'čoa	The experiment failed. Unable to fulfill my destined purpose, I banished myself to this realm. I am of no use, fit only to gather the remnants of bygone heroes and mourn the past. I have been waiting... for someone to open the door to the future. I thought Theresa would be the one to do so.
W	You...
The gaunt figure picks up the broken altar fragments on the ground and grinds them into fine dust. He trails the powder down his cheeks with his fingers, creating two streaks that resemble tears.
Qalid'čoa	Her Highness Theresa is gone. You have picked up her last echo. The King of Sarkaz's old subject. Your presence here may not be a coincidence, young Sarkaz.
W	You know what? I think so too. Got to leave a souvenir in the Confessarii's nest.
Qalid'čoa looks down to find several bombs at his feet.
Qalid'čoa	Why did you...?
W	You know what? Of all the old freaks I've met, you're one of the more interesting ones. But I couldn't leave a Confessarius without leaving a present behind.
Qalid'čoa	What is your name, mercenary?
W	Find it on Theresis's tombstone.
[W presses a button and the bombs detonate.]