Operation story: 7-10

Operation

Story

Previous 7-9	Next 7-13
Characters
Doctor 12F Amiya Elysium Kal'tsit Rosmontis Mon3tr Rhodes Island Guard? Ursus Infected/Tatiana Sarkaz Mercenary
Backgrounds
1 2

Before operation

“

Guard's appearance surprises everyone, but Kal'tsit's sudden interrogation of him is even more surprising. However, the standoffish attitude of the Infected citizen finally eases.

”

<Background 1>
Kal'tsit	Guard, explain yourself.
Rhodes Island Guard?	I must look exactly like a Reunion member... huh?
Ursus Infected	So you know each other. Right, so everything this Cautus said was a lie. You and Reunion have always been on the same side! Isn't that right?!
Amiya	......
Rhodes Island Guard?	...Tati... Did you find any food? The people in the shelter don't have long.
Ursus Infected	What more do you want from me?!
Rhodes Island Guard?	Let's get you to someplace safe first.
Amiya	Stay away from her, Guard!
Rhodes Island Guard?	I'm staying back. ...I know things might be hard to explain. But we have to be careful. All the Ursus here became Infected of no fault of their own... and they've had a tough time. Most of them are already on the verge of mental breakdown... All it takes is someone to push them over the edge.
Ursus Infected	We've had it "tough?" You're psycho murderers! Sadistic freaks! Because of you... look what happened to me! Look what I've become!
Rhodes Island Guard?	But if you don't leave right now, the devils will find you. You'll be handed over to Reunion. Patriot's troops have completely pulled out of this area. If you're caught, I can't save you at that point.
Ursus Infected	Then just let me die! I'd rather die than watch you monsters run rampant! What about guerrillas or this so called "Aegis of the Infected?" ...Are they any different from the rest of Reunion?!
Rhodes Island Guard?	They are. Without them, we'd be dead already.
Ursus Infected	Tell me then! Right now! If they're just trying to do the right thing, why are they still with Reunion? Why'd they do this to our homes?! Why aren't they rebelling? Why aren't they walking out?! Why did they do all this even knowing we've been spat on, persecuted, and killed? Why didn't your great guerrillas fight back against the patrolling devils? Why?! I watched them... they used their own hands... to rip... tear...
Rhodes Island Guard?	...... Patriot can't be everywhere at once. When Patriot has to command his forces to defend the sanctity of life, something has gone horribly wrong. But... as long as the guerrillas still continue to pass through this area, I can assure you that the truly wicked in Reunion will not set foot here. That is the difference between Reunion's thugs and Patriot's guerrilla warriors. Patriot, and the Sarkaz as a whole, are much more disciplined than Reunion's ranks.
Ursus Infected	Where are they then?! Why aren't they here? When they left, the other Infected were so much worse, so cruel! How is that not their fault? If not for the guerrillas, they never would've turned against us like this, right?! They're just out for revenge on the guerrillas!!
Rhodes Island Guard?	...You're wrong. The guerrillas did the right thing. And while as you said, some may be trying to take revenge on the guerrillas... They gave you a chance to survive, so Reunion is retaliating against them. That is all. No, they did more than that... One might even say they're defending your dignity. I saw it with my own eyes. I saw the soldier telling the others to call you by your names, rather than your numbers. Isn't that right?
Ursus Infected	......
Rhodes Island Guard?	And, the reason they left us alone was so that we could help you when they are away. ...Chernobog has already been cut up into many pieces. There are some places that the guerrillas are stationed, but also many where they are not... If no one can maintain discipline, then if you want to survive... you can only depend on us. And that's even assuming we survive. Amiya, do you believe what I said just now?
Amiya	......
Ursus Infected	No! Cautus girl, look... Look! He's Reunion! How can you believe anything coming from Reunion? And what about me? Am I supposed to buy into their bullshit now that I'm Infected? Look, the people you said wanted to murder us... aren't they Reunion? Now that I'm Infected, is Reunion suddenly going to take me in and treat me better? How the hell am I supposed to know who's who, and which one of you is going to kill me? You, Reunion, all of you should just... should just...!
Kal'tsit	(Amiya.)
Amiya	(Dr. Kal'tsit?)
Kal'tsit	(Don't get worked up.)
[Rosmontis appears.]
Rosmontis	Kal'tsit? Kal'tsit, we should keep moving.
Rhodes Island Guard?	...You... Why are you here...?! You, of all people! Are you... trying to eradicate Reunion completely?! Rhodes Island, you're really no better...
Rosmontis	Hm?
Rhodes Island Guard?	...Forget that for now! The Sarkaz mercenary patrol is going to pass through this warehouse soon! If we don't deal with them, or at least hide, they're going to find us and take us away... Not to mention the regular Reunion patrols. We don't have much time to find supplies! That's why so many are starving, and short on medicine. There's a lot of death among the people of Chernobog. Amiya, Dr. Kal'tsit! Also... Dr. {nickname}, I really hope you can trust me. Or at least find somewhere to hide!
Amiya	Guard...
Kal'tsit	Infected Ursus woman.
Ursus Infected	...... Do you mean me?
Kal'tsit	Infecterd[sic] Ursus woman, I have some honest questions for you.
Ursus Infected	Y-your accent... you're from the capital of the Empire, aren't you? But the way you speak, it's so old-fashioned...
Kal'tsit	You're educated.
Ursus Infected	...I was a copyist at a university, before. It's all gone now, thanks to you Infected.
Kal'tsit	All right, do you trust the man behind you? Our Infected former employee, now with Reunion?
Ursus Infected	Huh? He's... your employee?
Kal'tsit	One of Rhodes Island's functions is helping innocent Infected survive in a combat environment. Whether or not you are innocent remains to be seen... However.
[Out of nowhere, Kal'tsit summons Mon3tr, which attacks the Ursus Infected. Fortunately, the attack narrowly misses her neck.]
Mon3tr	......
Ursus Infected	Aaaahh!
Amiya	Dr. Kal'tsit!
Doctor	What are you doing?!
Ursus Infected	Y-you, your... what... is... mmng...
Rhodes Island Guard?	...never thought I'd see a day when Mon3tr was after me.
Kal'tsit	The blade pressed against your throat has an incision angle of only eight degrees. Another six millimeters deeper and it severs an artery.
Kal'tsit	Miss.
Ursus Infected	Um, err...?
Kal'tsit	Did he truly work so hard to ensure your survival, as he claimed?
Ursus Infected	What are you asking... What are you getting at?!
Kal'tsit	Did he and his Reunion element, or any part thereof, threaten your life or take any action to harm you? I will deal with him in accordance with your response.
Ursus Infected	Are you threatening me with his life?! I... we... we had nothing to do with each other!
Kal'tsit	What about him, individually? Did he go along with Reunion and their crimes against humanity?
Rhodes Island Guard?	Doctor... Kal'tsit... I'm insulted!
Kal'tsit	I can only rely on the words of eyewitnesses and victims. Since you claim to have guaranteed her right to life, then I have only the young lady's testimony by which to adjudicate your claim. You gave only your side of the story.
Rhodes Island Guard?	But what she says is also–
Kal'tsit	She's in a different position. You have power. You can use violence. It doesn't matter what you did with that violence.
Rosmontis	I felt it. Amiya, it's the Sarkaz. The targets are getting close.
Ursus Infected	Couldn't... but he...
Kal'tsit	Did he or did he not protect you from Reunion? Did he or did he not effectively keep you safe from their aggression?
Rhodes Island Guard?	Dr. Kal'tsit...! The patrol is here! It's not... it's not the guerrillas! You can't... Don't let them...
Ursus Infected	You're not making any sense!
Kal'tsit	I am confident our actions are well within the ethical parameters of Ursus. It was you who made the accusation against him.
Ursus Infected	He... he did go out regularly, about this time...
Rhodes Island Guard?	Dr. Kal'tsit! Let me... stop the Sarkaz! Or at least... let me get them to go someplace else!
Kal'tsit	I need an answer. Speak. Or we will never know the truth.
Rosmontis	Twenty-four meters out, in a straight line. Very close.
Ursus Infected	......
Rosmontis	Twenty-two meters.
Kal'tsit	Mon3tr.
Rhodes Island Guard?	Dr. Kal'tsit!
Ursus Infected	No! He didn't! He didn't do anything wrong! At least... at least nothing I saw!
Kal'tsit	Amiya, Doctor.
Doctor	Huh? / ...... / You put on a good show.
Kal'tsit	Thank you for your time.
Amiya	Darn it... Dr. Kal'tsit! I knew it...! Let's go, Doctor! Our next target is Reunion's Sarkaz patrol team!
Rosmontis	I'm coming too. Guard, was it? You're wrong about me. But I'll protect you. I'll get your revenge for you. They'll pay for what they did to you, and my family, and the common people. They'll all pay, for all of it.

During operation

12F	What's going on?! Those Sarkaz soldiers aren't being harmed by the ritual structures? Damn it, are they even getting more fierce after being exposed to that stuff? It all makes sense now. These mysterious Sarkaz rituals really do have a different effect on the Sarkaz...!

After operation

“

After the tension eases, the ensuing conversation allows the Doctor learn more about the operators, as well as about Patriot's squad. As for Patriot, Guard begins to move, but his way is blocked.

”

<Background 1>
Amiya	The ritual has no affect on these Sarkaz... But our Sarkaz operators aren't immune? Why? But they didn't look like they were with the guerrilla team. Strange...
Rhodes Island Guard?	Rosmontis... Thank you.
Rosmontis	I'm going on patrol. Don't thank me. Like Amiya always says, you don't thank people for doing their jobs.
[Rosmontis leaves.]
Ursus Infected	......
Amiya	The effects of the Oripathy inhibitor will take a while to show. But for now, you should be feeling a lot less pain. Take the medicine back to the others. There isn't much, probably only enough for one dose, but it will help with acute symptoms.
Ursus Infected	Did you really come to help us?
Amiya	I'm sorry, but we can't help you much more than this. We have to defeat the leader of Reunion before we can do anything else. Also... if Reunion breaks into a full-scale riot again, I think we won't be able to handle them.
Ursus Infected	All those things I said to you... I... I wasn't like this before. I used to hate you people. But now, I'm like you. Everyone hates me too. I very nearly killed him. But without his help... we might already be dead. But every time he let us go find supplies, someone died. I thought for sure that was proof he was working with Reunion, to toy with us. Even though we're already Infected? Does Reunion... really hate the Ursus so much?
[Kal'tsit appears.]
Kal'tsit	People don't need much to indulge in the ugliest side of their nature. Just giving them free rein can contaminate every part of a city.
Amiya	Dr. Kal'tsit... you scared me!
Kal'tsit	Amiya, you shouldn't be letting these games get the better of you.
Amiya	Just once or twice is enough...!
Kal'tsit	You'll spoil our plans if you waste so much time talking.
Rhodes Island Guard?	So... Dr. Kal'tsit, if she lied, were you really going to kill me?
Ursus Infected	I... I didn't lie though!
Rhodes Island Guard?	Just hypothetically. Not every Infected is so honest after they've been hurt. I've acted on impulse before myself.
Ursus Infected	Um... *sigh*...
Kal'tsit	Of course not. You're a Rhodes Island operator. I trust you over all others. Let's call it a form of psychological treatment for her. Naturally, the way you and she responded to it proved your innocence.
Rhodes Island Guard?	But I... That look on your face was so dark and terrifying. I really thought you were going to do it... your act was way too convincing.
Kal'tsit	Sounds fine to me. I wouldn't do it, but I'd like to make people think that I would.
Amiya	Dr. Kal'tsit, you really pushed it... no more terrorizing Guard.
Kal'tsit	Fine.
Amiya	Don't worry, Guard. If she did go too far, I would've stepped in to stop her. Did all that spike your emotional state? Should I help you recuperate?
Rhodes Island Guard?	Oh, no need. I'd be awful weak if I needed the Amiya treatment after just that. After all... The one I really worry about is the little one standing by the door.
Rosmontis	......
Rhodes Island Guard?	But even that's looking better. She and I sorted things out, and I think I get it... but I still can't let go of the time she split a person clean in half with the sweep of a claymore. That's gonna be with me my whole life.
Amiya	Oh... I know the incident you're talking about. Guard... did you know she saved four civilian lives during that operation? That the military was testing weapons on them? She killed an abandoned weapons-grade experimental caster they'd bought from a Sargon slaver. The entire batch of casters had their pituitary glands surgically removed. The glands were replaced with an Originium device that kept them moving without input from their own nervous systems. They were already dead. Only Rosmontis, with her unique fighting style, could destroy the experimental infected organs. She did nothing wrong.
Rhodes Island Guard?	...So that's what happened?
Amiya	Guard, I think you misjudged Rosmontis the same way that young lady misjudged you. What you look like, and any rumors going around about you, are anyone's first window into your personality. No matter what you did, they'd be looking at you as Reunion first. But if we never got past the surface... we'd never know anything, let alone learn to trust. If no one tries to find the truth, then no matter how hard we work to sow its seeds, they won't germinate. And anyway, Rosmontis is right in front of you. Why don't you just... ask her?
Rhodes Island Guard?	A-Ask her?
Rosmontis	What do you want to ask?
Doctor	(Rosmontis sure is scary...!)
Amiya	(Um, not like that... she won't know what to say...)
Rhodes Island Guard?	...... ...Rosmontis, what are you here for?
Rosmontis	My mission. ...And, like I said, getting revenge. For my family.
<Background fades out and in>
Rhodes Island Guard?	I'm done asking. But... I don't even know what I asked. I was angry at Azazel before, and now I was rude to Rosmontis. Hah, what a mess I am.
Kal'tsit	But you trust Patriot. Tell us about Patriot and his guerrillas, and about Reunion.
Rhodes Island Guard?	I'm pretty sure Dr. Kal'tsit and Dr. {nickname} here can make sense of it. The only reason there's anyone still left alive, why so many Ursus were able to make it through Chernobog... Is because Patriot and his guerrillas. And the people who respect them. When the guerrilla fighters were around, there was peace. Nobody dared to raise a hand against anybody else. Not only did they hand out supplies and resources, but they even worked to make the locals' lives a little better. ...Patriot was going to let me leave the city. But I decided to stay... to see how things turned out. I overheard him talking to the leader of Azazel. I think even if it's all an act, he's at least working hard to keep up the act. Also... Mr. Scout died there to protect me. Patriot respected Mr. Scout. I...
Doctor	Scout... was an operator who sacrificed himself in Chernobog.
Rosmontis	Scout!
Doctor	Rosmontis...?
Rosmontis	What happened to Scout? I... why can't I remember? He died? He... This emptiness... is that him? Scout... I forgot again? But I just... the terminal... how could I forget again?
<Background black>
January 3rd An old man with white hair brought a charred, blackened object. Mechanist couldn't stand after seeing it. The old man nodded and left. Dr. Kal'tsit didn't say anything, only patted my head. It was Scout's. Scout。 Scout is gone too. Scout was the one who didn't even have a shadow, wasn't he? Wouldn't he be the one who came back even when everyone else died? Wasn't he the one with a never-ending story? Scout...... I searched the logs. Scout made me a bow. But that's a toy for little girls. I don't play with toys anymore. Why did Scout die? Why? Why? Why? Why?
<Background 1>
Rosmontis	...... *sobs*...
Amiya	Rosmontis... Give me your hand. Close your eyes, Rosmontis...
Rhodes Island Guard?	...... Turns out elite operators... aren't that different... from my teammates. Dr. {nickname}, I've got something to say. On your rescue operation, Scout led the recon team. He never knew you like you are now... But he said he knew you before, like Ace. He held back the Sarkaz mercenaries to save my life. Knowing Scout, he could've easily gotten out if he wanted to. He told me to tell you something... Right, I remember it. He said he would never forget fighting by your side.
Doctor	...?
Amiya	Huh...
Rhodes Island Guard?	He also wanted you to stop being a commander. But things being what they are, I think you probably can't just sit by and watch. Boss sacrificed himself to save me too. That means I've got two elite operators' lives on my shoulders. But Mr. Scout said they didn't die for any one person. They died for an idea. His team did, and so did mine. So I decided to look into Reunion. I had to see where things were going, and how I could help Rhodes Island. –I saw the guerrillas had their own idea. A firm, pure conviction that they were fighting for. They were a little more savage, of course, but they never found joy in violence. That's what I saw in them. If Reunion was supposed to be about liberating the Infected, then the guerrillas... they were there to exterminate their oppressors. They'd exterminate those who enslave the Infected, and those who threaten the common folk. All of them. To a man. That's because of Patriot. Patriot taught them, led them, and protected them. Before Patriot set out from Chernobog on a mission, I had a... talk with him. *Sigh*. Just how old is that warrior? But he still shared some of his booze with me. It was the first time... anybody treated me like that.
Kal'tsit	He may indeed be much older than you think.
Rhodes Island Guard?	Have you heard the legend? About him leaving Ursus?
Kal'tsit	I have. He led an entire elite division out of Ursus. The Great Rebellion proved to be fertile ground for all sorts of things that otherwise would've been absurd.
Rhodes Island Guard?	The truth is, there aren't many of those soldiers he led out of Ursus left. Their clashes with the Ursus regulars must've cost them a lot of men. Most of his guerrillas are fresh recruits, people who volunteered to join when they fought in the northwest tundra. Their battles, their prestige, and their ideals all won them recruits. They used to work well with the leader of Reunion. But for some reason, maybe related to the burning hate the Infected have for the people of Ursus... things turned out like this. It is what it is. Everyone alive today suffers Catastrophes, madness, and death. All kinds of suffering that this world heaps upon them. Tatiana... I remember your name is Tatiana.
Tatiana	...That's right.
Rhodes Island Guard?	Does your knee hurt?
Tatiana	What's that?
Rhodes Island Guard?	Three days ago, you tripped trying to run away.
Tatiana	It got better a while ago...! I'm Ursus! I'm not like... whatever your race is. Us Ursus are much sturdier.
Rhodes Island Guard?	I'm glad... it looked pretty nasty. Hah, here I am, doing a medic operator's job without any training. I've got a lot on my plate, Dr. Kal'tsit.
Kal'tsit	I understand.
Amiya	Hm...
Rhodes Island Guard?	Medic didn't come with you?
Rosmontis	Why bring her up?
Rhodes Island Guard?	Don't worry about it. I can tell by the look on Rosmontis's face what happened. We've lost a lot of people, but Rhodes Island fights on.
Kal'tsit	I'm getting the impression that you don't know the core city is on a collision course with Lungmen.
Rhodes Island Guard?	...... What? Oh, are you talking about helping the Reunion forces at the battle of Lungmen? Moving the core city is Reunion's only play. I heard about that.
Kal'tsit	The core city is broadcasting an Ursus identification code.
Rhodes Island Guard?	Huh? ...What?! Hold up! ...No way... That doesn't make any sense!
Kal'tsit	Now you know why we're here.
Tatiana	What's the problem?
Kal'tsit	(Makes the Rhodes Island hand gesture for "quiet.")
Rhodes Island Guard?	Nothing...
Tatiana	...You've been talking so long. If Patriot and his men are as good as you say, why is Reunion still running amok here in Ursus?
Kal'tsit	Because Reunion "shouldn't" be doing this.
Tatiana	...Huh?
<Background fades out and in>
Amiya	Guard... I think you would be a great help to our operation, since you're familiar with both the local Infected and Reunion. Would you be willing to rejoin our team?
Rhodes Island Guard?	......
Amiya	Oh, but you can't leave yet, can you?
Rhodes Island Guard?	...Right. I'm sure you can tell just by looking at me. Right, Amiya? Sorry, I know I'm about a decade older than you, but sometimes you make me feel like a kid.
Kal'tsit	No need to blame yourself. I could even say Rhodes Island will honor your work. ...But you're in a very dangerous position. Guard, if Reunion falls here, your work to save the Infected and maintain their basic living conditions will become much more difficult. Are you at all worried that could come to pass?
Rhodes Island Guard?	No, I'm not. Because Reunion has Patriot. As long as he's here, Reunion won't fall. A lot of guerrilla fighters left camp and gathered up. I'm thinking that's because he may be back already. And if he's here, I believe Reunion can still change.
Kal'tsit	But Reunion lacks the impetus to change. Looking at the evidence, Talulah has certainly not devoted herself to the cause. Chernobog's core city, the ruins of Chernobog back there, and the Ursus Infected... We can't forget that the Ursus Third Army is still out there waiting to act. That will make everything drastically worse.
Rhodes Island Guard?	But I know Reunion is relatively strong. And there are a few things... Rhodes Island can't handle. This is one of those things! Rhodes Island is a corporation. Dr. Kal'tsit has been very clear about that, time and again. I believe in Boss, and Mr. Scout... And I believe in Patriot.
Amiya	...I know.
Rhodes Island Guard?	...Aren't you mad, Amiya?
Amiya	Why should I be mad at you... over things we can't do, and things we haven't done? So much happened these past two weeks. We've all changed a lot. But we're not about to turn on each other because of the Infected. I think all that happened in Chernobog, and what Guard and I saw, were the same.
Rhodes Island Guard?	Correct. I still can't stand hurting people like that. No matter who's doing it to who, I won't stand for it. If Patriot wants to clean house in Reunion, I have to stand with him, with his men, and with all the Reunion members who believe in Patriot.
Kal'tsit	We do not consider your new way of thinking to be a threat to our interests. In fact, we encourage all our operators to learn more about the outside world, seek out their own goals, and build their self-confidence. Our ideas are constantly changing.
Rhodes Island Guard?	...Thank you, Dr. Kal'tsit, Amiya.
Amiya	Oh, yes. You can also contact the Doctor later.
Doctor	Anytime! / ...... / Happy to be of help.
Rhodes Island Guard?	As for my responsibilities at Rhodes Island... Amiya, Dr. Kal'tsit... Will they be more important?
Amiya	...I wouldn't put it that way, Guard. It's more important to decide for yourself what you want to do. And, personally, I think that any of us would have done the same in your position.
Kal'tsit	Different people make different choices. If something's important to you, it's important. I hope you find a place for yourself among these Ursus, like you wanted. I hope you can protect those deserving of protection.
Rhodes Island Guard?	......
Tatiana	...W-why are you looking at me...?
Rhodes Island Guard?	...I'm not. No reason. Just thinking.
Kal'tsit	Oh yes. Regarding your pay, I'm afraid your work here doesn't support a salary. Sorry. Also, Guard, please do tell me– If Patriot betrays Talulah, what happens then?
Rhodes Island Guard?	...That won't happen. Patriot trusts Talulah deeply.
Kal'tsit	Now what about the other way around?
Rhodes Island Guard?	...Dr. Kal'tsit?!
Kal'tsit	What if Talulah betrays Patriot? Or, what if I told you we encountered the Reunion commander, FrostNova, and by any objective measure, are responsible for her death?
Rhodes Island Guard?	Dr. Kal'tsit?! What are you saying?! That... th-that's Patriot's daughter...!
Amiya	If we fight Patriot... That would be the worst case scenario. And it's what the puppetmasters would want. If Talulah really is turning a blind eye to, or even allowing the Infected to harm innocent civilians in spite of Patriot's stance... I believe that's no longer just turning a blind eye. A lot of Infected will make Patriot into a target. Those who don't know the truth, and those who let their hatred get the better of them. And those who want to.
<Background fades out and in>
Rhodes Island Guard?	...... I... I have to go. I have to tell Patriot! But... Rhodes Island... Will he be... your enemy?
<Background fades out and in>
[The Guard leaves in a rush.]
Doctor	I didn't think things would turn out like this.
Amiya	It's not the obvious step for Reunion to take. Whether Misha or FrostNova... Us, Reunion, and Lungmen too... We can't let anyone else slip through the cracks. Doctor, we still have a lot to do... just thinking of what comes next is making me tired. But before that... we have to find Madame Ch'en. And, most importantly... The leader of Reunion. She's the cause of all of this.
Kal'tsit	Right. Team Mantra-2, come in.
Elysium	The captain has determined Reunion's communication method. It's primitive, even artificial-looking. As for personnel, she's just about done clearing the area. Not the guerrillas though. They're tough. Should we eliminate them?
Kal'tsit	No need for that. We're not here to eliminate them, or have them butcher each other. We're not here to stir up internal conflict. They should oppose those who misled them.
Elysium	Now? That's her question. I'm good.
Kal'tsit	Naturally... not now. Their spirit is rotten, but their fabrication of a backbone still remains. Take it away or break it, and watch them crumble. That's what we might have done at first. Talulah was a step ahead of us. She stirred the conflict and fanned its flames. I originally thought that she had gone mad. But this is poison, not madness.
<Background black>
Kal'tsit	The Infected and the people of the city will surely rise up. Talulah gave them the chance to intermingle and build bridges. She must still have a queen on the board, or she wouldn't be so bold. I firmly believe that she wants to destroy Reunion, in the most dishonorable possible way. ...And this is a poison that we must neutrallize. But all this hinges on what Buldrokkas'tee decides to do...
<Background 2>
Doctor	It looks like we've successfully infiltrated the core city.
Kal'tsit	Because what we do next can hardly be called an infiltration, Dr. {nickname}. As I said when we started, infiltration is only about twenty percent of our plan here. To get to the core command tower and the generator area to halt Chernobog's movement, we will have to go through the central district. Now, the enemies in our path are not your run-of-the-mill Reunion, nor are they brutish Sarkaz sellswords.
Doctor	Reunion's running low on leaders.
Kal'tsit	Let's put W aside for now. As a tactician, you should be more concerned about this than about Talulah, Reunion's tyrant. The Infected Guerrillas of the Northern Plains, a thorn in the hinterland of Ursus's Fourth Army to the northwest... Since its formation, it has only ever had one leader. Ordinary resistance fighters get slaughtered, but these guerrillas were able to turn the tables on the butchers. Local stakeholders could request the mobilization of a division or two to knock them out, but it would be taken as an admission of incompetence to the generals and the State Council. The war raged for so long that the Infected hiding out in the snow came to call the guerrillas their "Aegis." The Aegis of the Infected. The Yeti Squad was one of its subsets, and its members did not solely consist of Infected. The exiles, the fanatics, the maimed, Elves, Durin, and Sarkaz. The guerrillas did not fight for the Infected alone.
Doctor	–Sounds familiar.
Kal'tsit	Oh?
Doctor	It's exactly what you're thinking. / ...... / I just said whatever came to mind.
Kal'tsit	Just like Rhodes Island, yes? Just as before, Rhodes Island will benefit from your intuition, Dr. {nickname}.
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	You're not mad?
Kal'tsit	Why do you look into my eyes when you say that? There's nothing to see in these eyes.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	......
Kal'tsit	There's no point in staying silent at a time like this. It's your choice whether or not you hold an opinion.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	I thought you wouldn't appreciate that.
Kal'tsit	Would you rather I didn't? You want me to reprimand you, Dr. {nickname}? Not now. I don't think you do, and I don't think there's anything wrong with what you said.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Kal'tsit	In an unexpectedly apt analogy, the guerrilla fighters also trust only one commander, and embrace only that one commander. Yes, Doctor, this guerrilla force is another sort of "Rhodes Island." But their leader? No. Dr. {nickname}, prepare yourself well. Or you'll regret it. Even though one of our objectives is to clear a path through the central district to the bridge and the generator area... For your own safety, I still hope you and Amiya will not face him. But if this is all inevitable, then I can only repeat what I just said. ...Prepare yourself well, Dr. {nickname}. And before you face him, you must prepare to face his guerrillas. I rarely offer my advice to others, Doctor. But that is "Patriot," Buldrokkas'tee.
<Background fades out and in>
Rhodes Island Guard?	*Pant*... *pant*... Still... another... block? No... No! I have to... I have to tell Patriot... If Talulah... if Talulah lets these people... strike at the guerrillas... Then... then... the guerrillas will... they will... Be killed by their own...! Patriot... Patriot is the only level-headed one left in Reunion...!
???	Where do you think you're going?
Rhodes Island Guard?	You... Sarkaz.
[A Sarkaz mercenary appears.]
Sarkaz Mercenary	What brigade are you with? And what business do you have in the central district? Explain it to me. Oh, or maybe you're with the old Wendigo.
Rhodes Island Guard?	You–
Sarkaz Mercenary	The prey ran right up to me on his own. What did you learn, weak little Infected outlander?