Operation story: 6-1

Operation

Story

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Characters
Doctor Amiya Blaze Ch'en GreyThroat Swire Wei Yenwu Faust FrostNova Mephisto Phantom Crossbowman Guard Reunion Member
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5

Before operation

“

Rhodes Island and the L.G.D. officially begin their campaign against Reunion. Elsewhere in Lungmen, Blaze stands against a squad of Reunion members.

”

<Background black>
The Year 937 Duke Erik and Professor Lierland D. of Piesberg Parliamentary University published this co-authored paper in The Journal of Urban History ("Where Did We Come From?" Issue 44). The paper discussed the results of a detailed analysis of a collection of weathered remains. The investigation into Sargon Excavation Site 4 revealed a common origin for Infected quarantines and executions with the law itself. ...... That is to say, the suffering of the Infected predates even the emergence of the law.
<Background 1>
Lungmen, Support Structure Level, Exit
Doctor	FrostNova!
FrostNova	Now, we must fight. If you defeat me, it means some will be able to survive––
<Background black>
FrostNova	I am willing to join Rhodes Island. I am willing to fight together with you against the enemies of the Infected, your way. This is my burden to bear.
8:50 AM – Four hours after the recapture of L.G.D. Headquarters – Near the Commandery Exit
L.G.D. and Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals Lungmen Search-and-Destroy Campaign – Final Phase 1. Control Reunion's movements within Lungmen. Complete under the direction of the L.G.D. 2. Mop up Reunion's forces still in Lungmen. Complete under the direction of L.G.D. 3. Eliminate Reunion's operational commander, or their command influence. Complete under the direction of L.G.D. 4. Eliminate the Reunion Movement before they can withdraw to the slums. Complete under a joint L.G.D. and Rhodes Island operation.
<Background 2>
"...Attention all citizens... are performing an evacuation exercise..." "...Those citizens who have failed to evacuate, please lock your doors, draw your curtains, and do not leave your homes..."
???	Does it have to be so loud?
???	Shoot that drone down already!
[The broadcast drone was shot down.]
Mephisto	Now we're just caught up in an exercise? How dare they use such cheap tricks to cover up the exquisite terror I've worked so hard to formulate! And to repeat it over and over again in both Lungmen and Ursine tongues! I've had enough of these drones. Get! Hurry! Keep to the side streets!
Phantom Crossbowman	Nothing from Scout Team 3 either!
Reunion Member	Assault's signal suddenly c- cut out... We're losing contact with all overwatch teams one by one!
Mephisto	Why! How! Such an insult... such humiliation foisted on our movement! But how, and why? Damn you, Lungmen! Damn the Lungmenites! Damn the uninfected!
Phantom Crossbowman	(I've never seen him so unstable like this.) (Faust, do we still have a chance to retreat?)
Faust	...... (I'll make some space for you.) (If it's just your run-of-the-mill cops with the L.G.D. plus Rhodes Island, we should be able to get away.)
Phantom Crossbowman	(What do you mean? Who else could be out there?)
Mephisto	Agh...! I can't believe this! I can't get through!! If I can't even issue orders to my teams, how am I supposed to win?
Faust	(Someone is watching us. There is still more to this city.) (Get ready. To survive.)
Phantom Crossbowman	(Got it.) (...Faust.)
Faust	(Hm?)
Phantom Crossbowman	(We trust you.)
Faust	(......)
<Background 3>
9:20 AM - Rhodes Island patrol route near the L. G. D.
Blaze	They're really leaving this to the Infected? Rhodes Island got a raw deal this time. And in Lungmen! Hmph. How could a city as big as Lungmen not have what it takes to fight off an invasion on its own? Now they've got Infected fighting Infected on behalf of the normies... Whatever. It's certainly not the first time.
<Background 4>
Reunion Member	Hurry up and clear a path! Don't look back, just break through their defenses! If we can just get across this street, we have a shot at grouping up with the second brigade! Don't give them a chance to return fire. There aren't many of us left––
???	And in a moment, there won't be any of you left.
Reunion Member	What?!
[Blaze lands close to the Reunion soldiers and approaches them.]
Reunion Member	Wh... who are you? Did you just drop out of the sky?! Get back, get out of here! She... she might be able to fly!
Blaze	...I really can't!
Guard	Identify yourself!
Blaze	Use your scanner! (Sorry, I have to deal with this first!)
Reunion Member	Huh?
Blaze	Lungmen law enforcement, listen up! I am from Rhodes Island. Hold your fire. I really don't want to have to deal with crossfire while I'm fighting. I can handle this on my own. You head on to the next roadblock. Okay then. Back to you guys.
Reunion Member	What's up with this chick?
Blaze	I'll explain it to you. I'm sure you can figure it out. Probably. (Deep breath) I am Blaze, one of Rhodes Island's elite operators. My current objective is to cripple your combat capabilities. The intentions with which you undertook this invasion of a foreign city-state notwithstanding, we aim chiefly to disarm you. Setting aside the injuries and damages you have inflicted upon others, and attendant penalties, any attempt to resist at this point is pointless. Put down your weapons. You still have a chance.
Reunion Member	Huh? What? You...
Blaze	My fellow Infected, I give you a choice: Surrender at once, and I will escort you to Rhodes Island, and subsequently deposit you somewhere welcoming to Infected.
[The Reunion soldiers attacked Blaze, but she blocks them.]
Reunion Member	She blocked it with her bare hands?!
Blaze	Seeing as how you continue to resist, there's nothing more I can say.
Reunion Member	As if we'd just let you lock us up? How crazy are you?
Blaze	I'm not crazy! There's a time and a place for fight, and a time and a place for flight. It's just that when you choose to fight, all I can do is fight back. Either way, I don't need my chainsaw. Sorry, I really don't want to fight my fellow Infected. ...it's so humid in Lungmen.
<Background black>
Reunion Member	This stupid cat... is using Arts! Her body's steaming up!
Blaze	My body? Guess again. Is it the air around me that's getting hot, or the air around you? Let's take a Sami bath together. My treat.

After operation

“

Blaze dispatches of the enemy and groups up with Amiya. With her is GreyThroat, an operator who Blaze seems to have some bad blood with. Elsewhere, Ch'en and Swire fight side-by-side again.

”

<Background 4>
Blaze	Hah... Luckily I did some warm up back in Chernobog. But really, I didn't even break a sweat handling you guys.
Reunion Member	You! You Rhodes Islander, you're a disgrace to all Infected. How could you turn on your own like this just to help Lungmen?! So you'll hand us over to them, as if that keeps your hands clean? Bullshit! How do you live with yourself?!
Blaze	Huh? You ate two punches, cracked your skull on the pavement and you've still got the energy to talk trash? Not bad. But you've got it all wrong.
Reunion Member	Mmf!
Blaze	Having trouble breathing? Feel like your lungs are on fire?
Reunion Member	Ack... Guh...
Blaze	It starts in your sinuses, then crawls down your windpipe, until it finally finds a home there in your diaphragm. All I have to do is wiggle my little finger and... A stream of superheated air will shoot into your body, expand, ignite your organs, and erupt out of your pores. The funny thing is, Lungmen might let you live. But me and my little finger...?
Reunion Member	Aah! Gaaah...!
Blaze	Won't leave any of you breathing.
Reunion Member	Nooooo! L-let me go! Please!!!
Blaze	Fine. I'll be merciful. Officer! Over here. You take care of them. And one more thing, my new Ursus buddy. You think next time you could actually make me break a sweat? Hey, they made it. Dr. {nickname}, over here!
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	You were amazing!
Blaze	Hah. That was nothing. How about next time I show you how to snap an arm 90 degrees without breaking the bone?
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	......
Blaze	Hey, what's with that face...? How long have you been at Rhodes Island? You're acting like you've never seen a fight before. Compared to them, I'm a regular softie.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	You're certainly making a lot of noise.
Blaze	But of course. You think I'm the type to play it low-key? If I can put the fear of Blaze into them, who knows how many others might just give up. I have to play it up to make all my hard work worth something.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Amiya	Let's not steer the Doctor astray...
Blaze	Bunny!
Amiya	Don't just scoop me up like a toy!
Blaze	But you're just so soft...! Hey! Stop struggling! Just let it happen. I promise I won't bite!
Amiya	Blaze... Stop... Can't... Breathe!
Blaze	Phew.
Amiya	We've only been apart for an hour! What's with you! Get serious!
Blaze	I take it back. You're not cute.
Amiya	...... That's enough...!
Blaze	Woah, hey, I was just playing! Get out of my head! I can't take you screwing around with my emotions again! Wait. She's here with you?
GreyThroat	Hello, I'm...
Blaze	I know who you are. Talk to my fellow Infected like that again and I'll tear out your throat myself.
Amiya	Blaze!
Blaze	Sorry, Amiya. But that's the way it is. And she deserves a warning.
GreyThroat	......
Blaze	I'm out. Rendezvous at the next waypoint.
[Blaze leaves.]
Amiya	GreyThroat, Blaze may have misunderstood you.
GreyThroat	It's fine. I really did say those things.
Amiya	She shouldn't be dredging up your past to attack the person you are today.
GreyThroat	Who knows? Have I really changed? Even I don't know.
Doctor	You'll need to do something to find it out then. / ...... / Can we really have you running ops right now?
GreyThroat	I'm here because I wanted to do something. No matter what that Blaze says.
Amiya	Sigh...
Doctor	(Amiya...)
Amiya	(Right... She's not Infected, so GreyThroat might not grasp the reality of Rhodes Island's current situation.) (This operation could force her to decide once and for all... if she's going to stay or leave.) (But she's gotten used to taking orders, and doesn't speak up much. Sometimes she does surprise, though...) (There's no malice in her heart. She just needs a chance to find herself.) (Still, she's strong and reliable. You can trust her, Doctor. And even if we can't help her, I know she can help you.) Oh... where did Gavial go?
Doctor	Got too excited and went to crack some skulls? / ...... / Probably went to do frivolous collateral damage.
Amiya	She can't do that! Wait a minute, who taught you to think of her like that, Doctor? I mean, it's kind of true, but still... We can't afford to make mistakes here. Hurry to the next waypoint and try to signal her. Even if she's operating according to plan, there'll be trouble if no one's watching her...
Doctor	What about the other teams?
Amiya	We've got elite operators acting as squad leaders. They'll report in. Don't worry. We stand at a crucial point in this joint operation. This is the decisive battle for Lungmen.
Doctor	What about Superintendent Ch'en?
Amiya	She has her own mission to command. Superintendent Ch'en, as Chief of the Special Inspection Unit, will be deploying the best the L. G. D. has to offer against Reunion in service of our joint plan. At the same time, she has to herd Reunion's main force to the target location, all while keeping any of their smaller teams from slipping into the slums.
Amiya	And we, Rhodes Island, will keep moving through the waypoints on our patrol route, mopping up Reunion's squads along the way, pushing them to give up the fight. Finally, we'll reach the target location at the slums and, together with the L. G. D., we'll deliver the decisive blow to Reunion's main force. Considering the scale, there's relatively little Rhodes Island can do. But we'll execute the plan to the best of our abilities. As for the issues that have come up in the course of our cooperation with the L. G. D.... Dr. {nickname}, I promise to answer all our people. But, Doctor, there is something only you can do.
<Background 4>
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Leave it to me!
Amiya	Heh, good. But it's not the kind of thing you'll have to put so much effort into.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	......
Amiya	Now's not the time to clam up! Are you waiting for me to say more? You could at least tell me what you're thinking, Doctor...!
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Should I be taking this more seriously?
Amiya	No, that's okay! This isn't the kind of thing you need to be so solemn about.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Amiya	I'm going to call up Blaze and have her look after you. And for the little while until we meet up again, I need you to look after her too.
Doctor	Me look after her? Have you seen me? / ...... / I can protect an elite operator? News to me.
Amiya	Ugh... I'm not talking about like in battle! I mean look after her psychology. You know Rhodes Island has to fight the Infected sometimes. Especially right now. Our cooperation with Lungmen has led to some friction. Blaze is one of the elite operators we rely on for survival, yes, but her psychological state has an impact on her performance. It is because she is so resolutely committed to our mission that her encounters with the Infected have the potential to influence her emotions. Go on, Doctor. Treat it as an opportunity to learn what makes her tick. Show your appreciation for her. Thank her for saving you back there. She'll eat it up!
Doctor	Good idea! / ...... / Is that really necessary?.
Amiya	I believe in you, Doctor! Go get 'em!
<Background 5>
[Ch'en and Swire establishes a radio contact with L.G.D. officers.]
Swire	Their main force is engaging our other teams! We will reach the target location ahead of Reunion and join the formation!
Ch'en	Tell them we need to eliminate all Reunion elements that have not joined up with their main force first.
Swire	Right. Got it! Do what Superintendent Ch'en just said! Over and out!
[Swire ends the radio contact.]
Swire	How long has it been since we fought together like this?
Ch'en	I wouldn't say we're "fighting together" now. It's more like we're "co-belligerents." How did you get back here anyway?
Swire	've got my own motor pool, of course. How else do you think I saved Rhodes Island? Now what's got your panties in a twist? I can tell you're upset.
Ch'en	Hm. Let me think.
Swire	You need to think about it! Look at you looking for reasons to be mad...
Ch'en	Oh, right. You went behind my back to save Rhodes Island. You could have told me in private.
Swire	Was that embarrassing for you? Or you just don't like being kept in the dark?
Ch'en	Both.
Swire	Wowee... since when are you so direct? My old Officer Ch'en would talk herself in circles for hours...
Ch'en	Eyes forward!
[Reunion soldiers show up.]
Swire	L. G. D. defender squad, shields up! Play it just like we have a million times before. And never forget, your brothers and sisters are right behind you! Stand firm!
Ch'en	Hold!
Swire	Crossbows, nock!
Reunion Member	They blocked this road too? Uh oh... there's nowhere to go! We're trapped!
Reunion Member	Relax, we can break them! With me!
Ch'en	Hold!
Swire	Guards, ready!
Reunion Member	Overrun them!
Ch'en	––Now!
Swire	Crossbows, first volley, fire!
Ch'en	Pikes up! Don't let a single one of them out of our city!
<Background 5>
[Wei Yenwu contacts someone through radio.]
Wei Yenwu	Are you on site? Yes, that's right. I know. But the L. G. D. has their job to do and you have yours. Don't forget your role in all this. Indeed. Lin Kojui is quite opposed. But this matter is beyond him! ...... I've heard all the opinions from all the stakeholders. But there is no wiggle room here. I do what must be done. Kojui's daughter will reach out to you. In the next three weeks, you are not to contact me. Everything goes to her. I leave it to you. Don't worry. I am watching you. ...There's no need for that. The past is the past. And it stays in the past. Right. To the peaceful and stable future of Lungmen.
<Background black>
???	Wei, old boy, we're brothers, of a sort, aren't we...? So I'm asking you, for the sake of my daughter and her mother... Honestly, should I even have to ask? Would you really refuse to help your own sister? I've already decided on a name for my daughter. We'll call her... ...Talulah. Don't take it to heart. I understand. It's all very clear to me.