9-1: Storm Assault

9-1 Storm Assault	Episode 09 Previous Part 1 Recap Next 9-2 (Story)
Victoria's 7th Frontline Infantry Battalion, 2nd Tempest Platoon, makes landfall on County Hillock.

Characters

Bagpipe Horn ??? (Captain Kelly) Adjutant Hill Panicked Youth Victorian Soldier Triangle

Backgrounds

1

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Pursuing a case of theft of military Originium products, Bagpipe under the Tempest Platoon arrives at County Hillock, and conducts an assault operation at a certain warehouse from her intel.

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"The hibernating mountains carry smokestacks high," "And the tracks run hauling my home with creak and cry" "I found an acorn rolling in the gutter all alone, and right by a rivet rusted all of its chrome..."
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[A group of Victorian Army soldiers led by a Lupo codenamed "Horn" enter a warehouse. Horn reaches out to her teammates.]
Horn	We've entered the warehouse. Investigation team, report status.
Triangle	Leader. Vital signs to the southeast. Seven shelves away from you, moving within one meter.
Horn	Number of heads?
Triangle	One.
Horn	Any Originium response?
Triangle	None for the time being.
Horn	Good. Hold your positions.
[Horn signs off.]
Horn	Bagpipe?
Bagpipe	Got it!
Horn	What are you looking for?
Bagpipe	Doesn't it sound like someone's singin'?
Horn	Don't get distracted. This means our target's guard is down. Keep to the plan. Wait for my signal, then you charge. For now, keep moving in. Five, four, three... Ready–
[Horn and Bagpipe breaches the room by busting the door open...]
Bagpipe	Bunker destroyed!
[...spooking a young male Feline inside the room.]
Panicked Youth	Ack– *cough* *cough* *hack*... Wh–what's going on? All this smoke out of nowhere!
Horn	Don't move! Stay where you are, raise both your hands up!
Panicked Youth	I–I... you're... Victorian soldiers?
Bagpipe	What do you mean by that? Aren't you Victorian too?
Panicked Youth	Er...
[The young Feline looks around before running away.]
Horn	He's looking to run. Cello, watch to intercept!
Bagpipe	Leader, he's not headin' for the exit, he's turned back–
Horn	!! Triangle! Target heading for the back shelves! If you pick up any Originium response, open fire immediately! Everyone else, form behind my shield! Quick!!!
[Horn and the rest of the squad pursue the young Feline, but Bagpipe breaks off...]
Horn	Bagpipe, what are you doing?!
[...and attempts to flank the young Feline to catch him by surprise.]
Bagpipe	–
[Bagpipe collides with the young Feline who drops something as he falls to the ground. Bagpipe picks it up and covers it with her body, believing it is a bomb.]
Bagpipe	I'm coverin' it! Everyone, run!
Horn	You–
Bagpipe	...!
Triangle	Leader, no Originium response. That's not a bomb under Bagpipe.
Bagpipe	Oh! False alarm.
Horn	And the target...?
Bagpipe	Sorry, I knocked him a little hard. He won't be standin' for a while.
Horn	And what of the boxes?
Bagpipe	I'll take a peek. All potatoes and carrots, and cauliflowers too! I squashed 'em flat. Shame, they seemed just fine for eatin'.
Horn	...... Stay alert.
Bagpipe	This one, this one, and this one... they're all the same. Leader, it's all produce and grains in here.
Horn	Triangle, watch for anyone else nearing our perimeter. Oboe, you search the warehouse with Bagpipe. Signal on any discovery. Cello, take this man stuck on the floor and tie him up.
[Horn's squadmates pinned the young Feline to the ground.]
Panicked Youth	Urgh...
Horn	Right now, sir, we're going to need you to answer a few questions.
Panicked Youth	I–I don't know anything. I'm here for sorting the potatoes.
Horn	Are you from County Hillock?
Panicked Youth	Yes...
Horn	Have you heard of any spectre force?
Panicked Youth	Spectre... what? *cough*, *cough* *cough*... Doesn't force mean people like you lot, all the soldiers? They took Lowry, Julia and Chris away... is it–is it my turn now?
Horn	I want you to calm down. Listen. We have people who saw a batch of Originium goods enter this warehouse late last night. And now, those goods aren't here. You need to give me an explanation.
Panicked Youth	Explanation? That's what you're looking for? You're not going to just hang me? I–I... *pteuch*.
Bagpipe	Hey! What are you spittin' around for? You've gotta care about hygiene!
Horn	Any leads?
Bagpipe	None, it's potatoes everywhere. If our information wasn't wrong, then they must work a sight fast.
Horn	Alright. Bring him. He definitely knows something, he's just not willing to open up.
Panicked Youth	There it is... you're all the same! Dying to find faults in all of us, torturing us... you Victorian oppressor beasts!
Bagpipe	Eh? Again? He thinks callin' another Victorian "Victorian" counts as an insult? It's flyin' over my head.
[Triangle reaches out to Horn.]
Triangle	Leader, incoming.
Horn	How many? (Prepare to break up.)
Bagpipe	(Yes, Leader.)
[Horn and her squad split up, but...]
Triangle	Update, Leader, they seem to be our own.
[A Victorian Army captain walks into the building...]
???	They're in here.
[...followed by soldiers who surround Horn and her squad.]
Victorian Soldier	......
Bagpipe	(Leader, we're surrounded.)
Horn	(Going by the numbers, yes.)
Bagpipe	(If you listen to the voices, there don't seem to be too many left outside. If I crack the wall by me, then we've got our chance!)
Horn	(Don't get hasty.)
???	I see you've had a very fierce confrontation in here.
[Horn approaches the captain.]
Horn	Rita Skamandros, 7th Frontline Infantry Battalion, 2nd Tempest Platoon Leader.
???	Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Skamm... Skamandros.
Horn	My name isn't too easy to remember. You can call me Horn, Captain.
???	Very well, Horn. I'm Kelly, Louis Kelly. I'm sorry, codenames aren't our style.
Horn	Captain Kelly, you and your troops are presumably also here to investigate this warehouse.
Captain Kelly	Correct, we've received the tip-off too.
Horn	Then you ought to understand how grave this situation is. A great deal of illicit Originium goods were stolen off a military transport a couple months ago, and ultimately came to vanish in this region.
Captain Kelly	Ahem...
Horn	I need not remind you, Captain, with this much ordnance, coupled with recent thefts in surrounding counties–if fallen into felonious hands, the menace posed will reach far beyond County Hillock.
Captain Kelly	Good, thank you for the run-down. I understand.
Horn	And we're very thankful for your cooperation.
Captain Kelly	Hill!
Adjutant Hill	Sir.
Captain Kelly	Take this young man... this suspect back to camp.
Bagpipe	What? It was mad for us gettin' this man as our lead!
Adjutant Hill	Sir, her spear is obstructing fulfillment of my duty.
Captain Kelly	Er...
Horn	...... Bagpipe, let it go.
Bagpipe	But our mission–
Horn	–We're on Hillock land right now.
Captain Kelly pulls a handkerchief from his pocket, and wipes the sweat on his forehead.
Captain Kelly	Very glad we could persuade you, Lieutenant. You and this young Vouivre lady, and all others present... Ahem–you must be certainly worn out by your hard journey, dashing here from Londinium.
Horn	It's our duty as soldiers of Victoria.
Captain Kelly	Yes, quite right. Now, if you still have intention to operate in County Hillock...
Horn	We're obliged to continue tracking the thieved Originium goods. This is an order from Londinium. I imagine Colonel Hamilton would see sense too.
Captain Kelly	Of course, of course. You may accompany me back to camp.
Bagpipe	Leader, do we really have to give him up to them? They have to be doin' this on purpose! Ever since we touched foot on the outskirt plate, they've been followin' right behind! Right until now, just as we caught him–
Horn	"Stationed troops of the Empire have a responsibility to address any threat to public safety that arises within their station." They haven't violated any code.
Bagpipe	Ugh... alright.
Horn	Captain, he's yours. As per code, we may also take part in the interrogation–we hope you recall.
Captain Kelly	Ha, hahah... yes, quite in line with code.
Panicked Youth	N–No... let me go! Don't take me!
Adjutant Hill	Heh...
Panicked Youth	Help me... save my soul! I haven't done anything... I don't know... Aaarghhh!
[The young Feline resists to be taken into custody by Hill, forcing the adjutant to knock him unconscious.]
Captain Kelly	Hill...
Adjutant Hill	Tara rabble like him always do make a scene like this.
Captain Kelly	Take him away.
Bagpipe	Ugh, really! What gives them the right! Leader, I think... that wee Feline wants us to help him. He's scared to death of goin' with them.)
Horn	(......) (Triangle?)
Triangle	Here, Leader. Still in position, outside in the same tree. They haven't noticed me.
Horn	(Good. Take the reconnaissance group, and keep investigating along nearby transport routes. If you find any leads, immediately report back.)
Triangle	Understood. Are we notifying their barracks?
Horn	...... No need. Be sure to defend yourselves.