Operation story: 9-4

Operation

Story

Previous 9-3	Next 9-5
Characters
Bagpipe Horn Janie Captain Kelly Colonel Hamilton Craig Embittered Man Sorrowful Woman Victorian Soldier
Backgrounds
1 2

Before operation

Summary Bagpipe heads for the streets to continue her investigation, discovering that the fault line between the local Tarans and the barracks runs deep. Horn struggles for and gains an opportunity to meet with the barracks' colonel.
<Background 1>
"As the wind combs through golden wheat," "The forest wild wi' pipes of steel clank and beat," "I found by the edge of a plate my dear love true, and following a firelight straight from the blue..."
Bagpipe	So that's how the second half of the song goes... ...... How sad.
Sorrowful Woman	Now Damian's gone, and he won't even get a decent burial...
Embittered Man	They'd never give him back to us. All they'd do is scorch him to ash, scatter him off the city, treat him like the dirt under anyone's foot.
Sorrowful Woman	(Soft sobbing)
Embittered Man	First it was Lowry, then it was Chris, and now they've caught hold of Damian too. Grainne, when Sean got arrested, they all said he'd caught Oripathy–
Sorrowful Woman	No, Ronan, don't go on. Sean... he just caught it being careless. He was a hardworking, loyal man. A poor, poor man, and the only thing he ever wanted was just a better life for me and my son...
Embittered Man	Grainne, haven't you figured it out? We're just a bunch of rivets to them. Of course they'll toss us away without a care when we rust. And even if we haven't rusted, so long as we don't fit too well in the city's machines, we've got the same fate coming. Nothing changes. They never gave a shit we were catching Oripathy one by one. Every month they give out those drugs, the other workers get their whole lot, and we can only expect a half. Maybe even a third. And the protective suits. How long has Sean been wearing his for? Five years? Bloody hell, seven? How many times have you snuck out of bed at night just to patch it up? All those laws, all those standards, just for their benefit. And us? We're only fit to eat the potatoes and the rotten apples they don't want. Means nothing that the ag plates of this city soak in our sweat. We're only fit to waste away our lives day and night in the factories, and once we can't work a day more, we fall ill one by one just like they wanted! The way this is going, it's like they're sitting there playing dominoes, wiping us Tarans off our own city–
Sorrowful Woman	Stop it... I'm begging you. Ronan, nothing you're saying will lead to any good. Just look at Cliodhna and her kin stood over there. Crying over their own son, their own brother. How many more loves do you want lost, how many more hurting over what your anger did for them?
Embittered Man	It's the murderers that brought this hurt. They're killing us one after another. Times it's with sickness, times it's with mortar shells. Grainne, don't you deceive yourself any longer. (Low voice) This morning, a few came looking for me. The O'Briens, and Conor's brother. They've decided to join us. It's been hard getting by for you and your kid, we understand. This is a big moment, and we need to help each other now more than ever...
Sorrowful Woman	You'd better keep far from me and my child, Ronan... seeing as my Sean got on well enough with your lot.
Embittered Man	–! I have to go, Grainne. You see that one over there? She's wearing that uniform. You know our rules. I trust in you, and I'm asking you to trust me more. If you've made up your mind, you can tell Saoirse.
[Bagpipe enters...]
Bagpipe	Hello!
[...just as the man rushes off, leaving the woman alone. Bagpipe walks to the woman and greets her.]
Bagpipe	Er... hello.
Sorrowful Woman	......
Bagpipe	Do you know Barry's, er, Damian Barry's family?
Sorrowful Woman	(Shakes head)
Bagpipe	I heard you singin' just now. I'm not in the wrong place.
Sorrowful Woman	I... I don't know what you're searching about for, but Damian's ma and sister know nothing.
Bagpipe	Then did he have any especially good friends, or anyone who worked at the warehouse with him?
Sorrowful Woman	We know nothing... That's the truth...
[The woman is startled as Bagpipe gets close to her.]
Sorrowful Woman	*Whimper*... I'm begging you! Please don't take me...
Bagpipe	Huh? Sorry... did I get too close? I've got no intentions of hurtin' you. You seem awful scared of me. Is somethin' on my face?
Sorrowful Woman	N... Nothing at all... If you'll allow me, I need to go home. I still have so much fruit from this morning, and it'll go rotten in no time, if I leave it alone...
Bagpipe	*Sigh*.
<Background fades out and in>
Captain Kelly	......
Bagpipe	Eh? Is that... Captain Kelly?
Captain Kelly	Cliodhna, I just want to see you for one moment. I want to know if you and Fiona are still alright... Yes, it was my mistake, but– My hands were tied... Of course I remember, I remember it all. Damian... he was the boy of my sister. I watched him grow up his whole life. The day I was transferred back from Peninsula to Hillock, he set an edelweiss in my cap with his own two hands. He was still so little then... I... I'm sorry... I shouldn't be telling you all this. You're right... I've been good for nothing. I haven't the face to return here. I wasn't in time to stop him when he got involved with that group... and I couldn't disobey the Colonel's orders. Not just that, I have to do this. This is all for County Hillock. I love you all, and I love this city... I can't just stand goggling while that bunch tear our home to pieces. I understand, Cliodhna, my sister, and I'm not asking your forgiveness or anything. I'll... be going, then. You... you and Fiona be sure to take care of yourselves. If I can find the time tomorrow, I'll come see you again...
[Cpt. Kelly leaves, but suddenly, Craig collides with him as he runs, knocking him down. Both Cpt. Kelly and Craig get back on their feet.]
Captain Kelly	*Cough*, *cough* *cough*... What are you–
Craig	–
Captain Kelly	Oh, just... just a boy. Are you... *cough* *cough*–are you hurt? Don't run too fast now. It's been decades, and they've still never levelled the road here...
Craig	Traitor!
Captain Kelly	Wh–What did you say?
Craig	Traitor!!!
Captain Kelly	I...
Sorrowful Woman	Craig! What are you doing?! Get back here now!
[Craig runs towards his mother's side, while Cpt. Kelly follows.]
Sorrowful Woman	And what's that ball in your hands for... oh, forget it, you're always gripping that ball wherever you go. Were you off looking for Conor's brother again? Oh, you... Ronan's told you, hasn't he? Look at your hands, all covered in black. It's like you were digging through a mine. You come with me to the morning market from now on. You can't go looking for them around this time anymore... I can't let you become like them...
[As Cpt. Kelly watches Craig and his mother, he utters...]
Captain Kelly	Traitor? Boy... wasn't one bit wrong.
The Captain stands still for a moment, repeating the word, once, twice to himself, finally turning to leave. His head is hung low as could be, and he doesn't meet the gaze of a single person more, including those young colleagues of him that rush his way.
Bagpipe	Hold on a moment, Captain...
[Before Bagpipe could call Cpt. Kelly, some Victorian soldiers appear and whistl, commanding everyone to return home.]
Victorian Soldier	You–What are you all doing here? Pack off home, if you know what's good for you! We've told you, you're not allowed to congregate on the streets at this time!
Embittered Man	This is our home! It's not us who should go packing!
Victorian Soldier	–Who had the lip to say that just now?
[The soldier strikes the man as wilted leaves fall off the man's pocket.]
Victorian Soldier	What are these... Wilted leaves? Step forward right now!
[The soldiers brutally beat the civilians...]
Victorian Soldier	You Tara rabble, watch I don't–
[...but Bagpipe rushes to stop them.]
Bagpipe	Brandishin' a bolt on the street's far too dangerous!
Victorian Soldier	Who're you?
Bagpipe	Ah, I'm here on orders. Come to investigate the case.
Victorian Soldier	You're here for the murder at the bar?
Bagpipe	Er, what murder?
Victorian Soldier	This rabble right here. They've killed plenty of ours.
Bagpipe	...Damian Barry?
Victorian Soldier	Right, I hear he's been put to death already. I suppose it was you lot who caught him? Nicely done, thank you.
Bagpipe	We didn't know yet when we caught him... was he really part of the spectre force? Er...
Victorian Soldier	Who gives a shake what he was? Serves him right he's dead! Did you hear me? No–congregating! Each and all of you up to whatever secret business here, you'll all be treated as suspects!
[The soldiers continue beating the civilians.]
Victorian Soldier	You bloody Tara arselickers–
Bagpipe	Don't! Don't get carried away! Look, most of 'em are just plain city folk, with a loved one dead, and they're here grievin' for him, like human nature would.
[Bagpipe stands in the soldier's way and get struck in the process.]
Bagpipe	Uh–a–a rotten potato?
Victorian Soldier	Ha ha, see? You spoke for them, and you got battered, right? If you're so keen on staying here, stay. As long as I make sure this rabble behaves itself, I'm done. My rotten luck for getting this patrol duty. You riff-raff, I'll say it again, no congregating!!
[The soldier whistles again, and this time everyone heeds the warning and leaves.]
Bagpipe	I...
[Bagpipe picks the falling wilted leaf.]
Bagpipe	Oh, it's just more and more rottin' leaves...
Janie	Come this way.
Bagpipe	Eh, what?
[Janie takes Bagpipe to somewhere.]
<Background 2>
[The operators receive a dispatch.]
"Reporting in, 9th Defence attacked..." "Reporting in, 13th Defence currently in firefight..."
Horn	Send notice one more time, please. I want to see Colonel Hamilton.
Victorian Soldier	The Colonel's handling urgent affairs.
Horn	You said that two hours ago. I've already abided by strict process. I submitted description of my duty yesterday when entering County Hillock. If the Colonel won't let us take part in suspect interrogations, and goes to lengths to execute them beforehand, and presently refuses my request to meet him– To anyone else, don't you think this conduct might be taken as a deliberate hindrance to our fulfillment of orders?
Victorian Soldier	I have no authority to answer your question, Lieutenant.
Horn	That's fine. I'll say my part, and it's enough if someone listens. I've said before, the Originium products thieved are not small in number. It's sufficient arms to allow a detachment to attack a small town, or bomb a medium nomadic city's support tracks. Who'd want to obtain these products? Ordinary bandits wouldn't need them; it'd cost too much to smuggle them out. With Victorian military goods in this great a bulk, even a Sargon black market under Columbia's protection wouldn't dare provide a means for a deal. Who else is left? A local private arms dealer, moneymaking off the costs of remodeling? They haven't got the appetite, let alone the guts. Only a well-trained unit, well-versed in military methods would dare take it, and could evade our spies on top. If this unit got hold of that large a quantity of Originium product, what would their goal be? Conspiracy to overthrow? Taking the chance to embezzle far removed from Londinium, colluding with outside powers to fill their pockets, slowly and steadily?
Victorian Soldier	Lieutenant...
Horn	No need to panic, this is all just baseless reasoning, no thanks to whoever's keeping me waiting. I can't get anything done like this.
[The soldier receives an incoming call, and...]
Victorian Soldier	(Subdued communications) Lieutenant, the Colonel says he'll be here imminently.

After operation

Summary Bagpipe gets acquainted with Jane, who is preparing to return to the barracks, and Jane agrees to search for leads. Horn meets the colonel, and learns that the barracks have suffered grievous losses from Tarans' and the spectre force's attacks.
<Background 1>
Bagpipe	Ugh, took a peltin' and some. Missed Captain Kelly in the end.
Janie	Here, take this hankie, wipe yourself off, or else the smell of those rotten leaves'll stick to you.
Bagpipe	Thank you!
Janie	Didn't imagine any of our soldiers apart from Captain Kelly would visit District Seventeen on their own.
Bagpipe	Our soldiers? You mean like, you're one too?
Janie	Shh. (Clears throat) I slipped out in secret. Can't do that in uniform. You're not gonna make anyone happy taking a shortcut to the barracks through here in that getup.
Bagpipe	Eh, really? No wonder. I barely said anythin' before it was a bombardment of all gone-off leaves and fruit.
Janie	Are you a new transfer?
Bagpipe	Kind of. I'm here from Londinium.
Janie	Well, Londinium! I've never been. Must be miles larger than County Hillock there... Does The Shard really go three hundred floors up? Is there really a teleportation circle buried in the mound under the Royal Victorian Academy of Science, leading to the miraculous space where the first Draco King's Jewels are kept?
Bagpipe	Eh... eh? Jewels? Never even heard of them. But I do know what the high-speed terrestrial warships look like when they leave the factory, and I've seen the hydroponics workshop... If you wanna know anythin' of that sort, I could definitely tell you.
Janie	Warships? Hydroponics workshop...? Doesn't sound... too much like Londinium is in novels... Oh! Sorry! Don't let me distract you. If you want to investigate, it'll probably be hard to ask on any of these streets. Might end up like this again, with...
Bagpipe	With gettin' a stink all over me for no reason?
Janie	Got off light, haha. You're not that stinky.
Bagpipe	Do these residents often have clashes with us soldiers?
Janie	Used to just be minor friction, but it's been getting tenser lately. It's like you've been hearing. There's been several cases of our soldiers getting targeted in attacks, and it's stretching everyone's nerves close to the limit–
Bagpipe	Could it really be the spectre force... that's weird, they didn't really target ordinary soldiers before.
Janie	Spectre... what are you going on about?
Bagpipe	...Nothin'. Speakin' of, that patrol just now callin' the people here "Tara rabble"–
Janie	Hold on, don't–don't just say that out loud here! They'll be eyeing us again... What, are you hoping to take away even more rotten veg?
Bagpipe	Ah... gotcha. Are they really not Victorians?
Janie	Of course they're Victorians.
Bagpipe	I'm gettin' more and more lost here.
Janie	Some people would choose another word, yeah, the one you've been hearing–Tarans, that's their identity. You have both the locals themselves who would call them that, as well as a decent portion of the soldiers.
Bagpipe	Now that you put a fine point on it, I've heard the term before.
Janie	In novels?
Bagpipe	In history textbooks.
Janie	Right. They've always been here. Over hundreds of years ago, when it wasn't County Hillock yet, and we still hadn't built our nomadic cities, back when it was grass all across the vales as far as the eye could see, this place was their home.
Bagpipe	I still remember the legend of the Draco King, Gaeil... was he born right around here? Tara was the very name of this region back then.
Janie	Right. I've read heaps of novels all about the saga of King Gaeil.
Bagpipe	King Gaeil led the Tarans in a conflict against the first Aslan King, but a few years later, he signed a peace treaty along with the ruler of Londinium, didn't he? And here I was thinkin', after that, the word Tara just sort of fell away.
Janie	Before I came to County Hillock, I thought the same... But Victoria's always changing, isn't it? Us Vouivre didn't always live here, but we're all Victorian citizens now.
Bagpipe	If everyone's minds went like that, we'd avoid plenty of conflict.
Janie	*Sigh*...
Bagpipe	No need to let it get you down, though. The whole reason we're here is to uncover the real enemy, stop the clash gettin' any bigger, isn't it?
Janie	So you'd rather not leave, even if it means a headful of rotten cabbage?
Bagpipe	Haha, you think I'm bein' a right dunce, don't you?
Janie	No, not at all. Actually, you're amazing to me. The patrol just now, I've seen masses of rough attitude like that. It's not like I've never wanted to stop it... but I'm a guard of honor, that's all I am.
Bagpipe	And what's so bad about that? You're a member of Victoria's army too. Course you've got the power to change the situation, if it doesn't sit right with you!
Janie	Do... do I really? Oh, thank you... you're the first person who's ever told me that. Yeah, next time, I'll give it a go... Oh, yeah, is there anything else I can help you with? Apart from picking these leaves off you... after all, I don't want to see this conflict boil over either.
Bagpipe	Let me think... d'you have any local friends you ken? I want to ask whereabouts Damian Barry usually went.
Janie	Friends I've got... Saoirse might know something. Give me a way to keep in touch, and I'll visit the newspaper in a moment. Don't think the Sergeant Major would mind if I'm missing today...
<Background 2>
Colonel Hamilton	Skamandros.
Horn	Colonel.
Colonel Hamilton	I once saw your father–over twenty years ago, at a ball the Duke of Caster was holding. Of course, I was still a bottom-rung guard then, so all I had was a glimpse from afar at the White Wolf Count of legend. Not long after, I heard a deformed feathered reptile struck illness into him at a Londinium beastlife garden, and he quickly took leave from the aristocratic circles. Ever since, he hasn't taken a step beyond his manor at Portsmouth City. Is your father still in fine spirits?
Horn	Thank you for your concern, and I hope reminiscing over these years-old affairs hasn't eaten up too much of your precious time. After all, meeting with you doesn't prove easy.
Colonel Hamilton	You don't resemble your father.
Horn	As is clear, my father did not have the opportunity to serve for the Empire's Army like you or I do. Considering the theft of these military Originium goods couldn't possibly relate to him, maybe we don't have a need for probing further into his later life.
Colonel Hamilton	One's background decides what kind of person one becomes. Would you agree with that, Skamandros?
Horn	I believe one has the right to choose one's own future.
Colonel Hamilton	Listen to that. How befitting an answer of your status. The progeny of the Aslans' aide, first-class honors from the Royal Guard Academy, a Londinium army upstart–of course you believe you can change anything and everything.
Horn	I have no intent to make any such changes, Colonel. You don't need to worry about our squad potentially impacting your command over County Hillock...
Colonel Hamilton	For a joke, I don't find that humorous at all. You can't be so arrogant as to think I'd occupy myself with a paltry little lieutenant? I've met people like you plenty. Always all braggadocio, skin-deep, and superficial. I deigned to meet you because I wanted to tell you this– Don't interfere in things beyond your ken.
Horn	I'm sorry, I cannot agree to that. The orders we received were to ascertain the lost Originium products' whereabouts.
Colonel Hamilton	If you just stay still and wait where you ought to, then before long, you may accomplish your duty and return to Londinium with all the ostentation you'd like.
Horn	I don't need that ostentation of yours, and Victoria needs it even less. I'm not in the routine of reporting back with a hurriedly lopped-off head, sans trial.
Colonel Hamilton	Hahah! You're telling me I've a disregard for human life–and you believe those people are truly innocent? How ridiculous! Just ten days ago, three of our soldiers were murdered in cold blood. James Cohen, Robert Boris, and Jeremy Brown. When Cohen's wife wrote to tell him she was with a second child, she had no idea that her husband had had a hole gruesomely blown in his head. Boris could've left this place once midsummer passed. He mentioned he'd go back to continue his family's clothiers after his retirement. And Brown, he was a bright young student just a year ago, and not even twenty when he died!
Horn	I give my profound regrets for their sacrifice.
Colonel Hamilton	Regrets! Hah, what weightless rhetoric, just like every word that wafts out of your mouth.
Horn	This is exactly why all of us want to catch hold of the assassinators. Colonel, on this matter, we have held unanimous positions throughout.
Colonel Hamilton	No one else but that Tara rabble killed them. We've uncovered two already, but I know there are still more tucked in the background. Fifteen days ago, our barracks suffered an explosive attack at three simultaneous places. An according fifteen soldiers lost their lives. The craters and the spilled blood of our own still lie where they were. Twenty-one days ago, our resupply transport group were ambushed outside the distribution sector in the outskirts north, and the whole detachment together with their goods disappeared without a trace. Do you feel there is any possibility they would still be alive? This is only the last month's events, to boot. You know nothing at all of the losses we've long since endured.
Horn	These incidents you mention all sound very in line with the spectre force's MO. In the past half a year, Londinium has continually received reports from more than ten different counties, logging up to hundreds of homicide, looting and property damage cases. After every offence, they swiftly conceal their tracks, and all connected personnel who've seen them are caught in assassinations before they can contact us. We've been able to obtain exceedingly little information so far. That is why the lead before us is so crucial. We still don't know the spectre force's goal in haunting County Hillock, but I believe that they are our mutual enemy. Colonel, if we and the barracks can cooperate, and uncover the spectre force here, it'll be of great benefit to County Hillock and Victoria as a whole.
Colonel Hamilton	Hmph. You still understand nothing at all. You treat the atrocities before you as just another case to win you a medal. But you're wrong, soldier. This is not some case, and no such true culprit exists. This is a war, and it is between us and them, a war ongoing for decades, even for centuries. You call them a spectre force, but do you know what that name signifies? Who is the enemy we've been confronting all this time? Well? It's a ghost! It's a phantom drifting over this city, an apparition that echoes in the heads of Taran morons, it is a life-in-spirit ghost! And that spectre speaks a different language to us, willfully distorts the history molded by our ancestors' hands, has delusions that by the body of our city it will one day return to life!
Horn	Are you saying that a great amount of the local populace are supporters of the spectre force?
Colonel Hamilton	Great amount? Supporters? No, you're mistaken. They are one single whole. Have you ever read this anthology of poetry?
Horn	Seamus Williams. His poems have some fame in Londinium too.
Colonel Hamilton	This is their very compilation of bare-faced lies about Victoria. In their depictions, they have their own language; they are this land's natural owners.
Horn	Still, Victoria can tolerate the mindsets of authors who come from differing cultural backgrounds.
Colonel Hamilton	No one would assume a dreamer's fantasy as their truth. Not unless that dream mentioned taking up a hatchet. Not unless it was about wanting to cut our heads off. I still keep this book of an idiot's sleeptalk so that the bloodstains upon it always remind me– If one lives on Victoria's land, yet refuses to give one's own name in Victorian, then one is no longer a Victorian, but an enemy and a menace to this country's safety!
Horn	You... you executed the holder of this anthology? Simply because they...
[A soldier interrupts the talk between Col. Hamilton and Horn.]
Victorian Soldier	Reporting in!
Colonel Hamilton	Speak.
Victorian Soldier	Command has lost contact with 9th Defence and 13th Defence after they were attacked. 5th, 7th and 10th Defence each sent vanguards ASAP to the scene, and did not find traces of the enemy.
Colonel Hamilton	What of our own?
Victorian Soldier	They... gave their lives.
Colonel Hamilton	–
[Col. Hamilton turns to face Horn.]
Colonel Hamilton	Did you hear that, Skamandros? Right as you were seeing fit to tell me sympathetic rubbish to the enemy, we once again saw outstanding soldiers die at their hands! If that's gotten through your head, then kindly eject yourself from my office. I still have genuine work awaiting me.
Horn	...... Fine. Very fine. I have my own work to do too.