Operation story: 9-9

Operation

Story

Previous 9-8	Next 9-10
Characters
Bagpipe Horn Janie Outcast Busy Youth Craig Grieving Man Sorrowful Woman Victorian Soldier Dublinn Soldier Triangle
Backgrounds
1 2 3

Before operation

“

Learning her close friend has been executed, Jane is thoroughly shaken, and Outcast consoles her. Horn orders Bagpipe to find a Messenger to send word about Dublinn, and at the same time, she comes to learn of the stolen Originium goods' whereabouts.

”

<Background 1>
[Janie hurriedly returns from getting supplies.]
Janie	I'm back. I found some bread and clean water. Craig's been running about most of the night, he needs to fill up his stomach... Er, what's wrong with everyone? What... happened?
Sorrowful Woman	......
Grieving Man	It's her! She's the one who tipped the Victorian Army off... She killed Saoirse!
Janie	What... What are you talking about?!?! Saoirse... What happened to Saoirse?!
Grieving Man	You're asking? She's dead! You black-hearted Victorian soldier! You got close to her just so you could pluck intel from her own mouth, didn't you? And now she's been executed–are you happy?!
Janie	I... I never even thought... How could this... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Saoirse...
Grieving Man	Save your tears! You've no right to be sad for her! And you've no right... to be standing here!
Janie	I was sincere with her, always...
Grieving Man	Sincere? A Victorian soldier, telling us Tarans sincerity? What a joke for the ages!
Janie	Aren't we all... countrymen?
Grieving Man	Countrymen? What do you know of our country? Have you eaten the grains we eat, spoken the language we speak, felt the pain we feel?
Janie	But I've always wanted to help you...
Grieving Man	Don't come any closer! Put down your flag! You're not calling for backup on us!
Janie	I don't want to... I wasn't...
Grieving Man	Get out of our land! Never again will the home of the Tarans need Victoria's ensign!
Janie	...... You want... me gone?
Sorrowful Woman	We've got no choice. You saw how... I never even did any wrong, and yet... none of you would just let me go... I think... Ronan was right, we have a chance now. If we can just win, then nobody will ever come hassling me or Craig again... *sob*...
Janie	Craig... do you...?
Craig	...... We don't need you!
[Someone throws a stone onto Janie.]
Janie	A... stone?
"Have you seen the looks in their eyes before?" "In their eyes, no matter how you behave..." We aren't the same kind.
<Background black>
Janie	So it was... me who never figured it out. I should go.
<Background 2>
Horn	The troops are retreating in defeat. Over half the blocks in this city will very soon fall into the spectre force's hands.
Bagpipe	How'd they break so quick?! I was thinkin', even if their organization and trainin' was rock-bottom level, at least they could hold out until tomorrow mornin'.
Horn	You noticed how that squad from the barracks behaved just now, didn't you?
Bagpipe	I saw it. We were holdin' the stadium together, but then once the enemy came, they all ran for the rear in a flash. Would've been useless no matter how we held out.
Horn	They seem to have completely lost their will to fight.
Bagpipe	That might be it. After all, it was a situation just now. The enemy shows up, the residents in refuge all cheer for 'em and open the gates in. Any soldier'd be a little deflated watchin' a scene like that.
Horn	But Colonel Hamilton doesn't seem in any way like the kind who gives up this easily. He especially values County Hillock. The barracks might be at a disadvantage right now, but they didn't seem to be in any chaos at all when they retreated. They still had firm organization. I can only believe that this present state still falls into the Colonel's plans. He has some other intent in this war situation.
Bagpipe	Closest forces are County Kevin's barracks. If we sent out the signal for help, they could get here by evenin' soonest.
Horn	...Assuming they receive the signal in the first place.
Bagpipe	Worried about problems with the comms system?
Horn	It's our third day since coming here, and we still haven't received any news from Londinium. County Hillock is like a lone island at this moment.
[Sounds of fighting are heard across Hillock.]
Horn	–
Bagpipe	No problem, just a few grenades and a wee squad of mixed forces. I'll sort it out. This street's still safe for the time bein'.
Horn	Bagpipe... remember in training when you just joined us, I gave you two hours of weighted handstand push-ups as a punishment.
Bagpipe	Course I'd never forget, Leader. Wasn't much of a bad punishment as far as I'm concerned, but for a while, I really thought you didn't like me too much.
[Explosions and shots are heard in the distance.]
Horn	I never told you why. Actually, it was because you told me as you were reporting in, you'd stuffed mince pudding and blankets in your marching bag.
Bagpipe	Eh? That's a hometown treat. It's good, honest.
Horn	You said much the same at the time. On the day of the solo cross-country test, you were already starving when you came back, and you obviously kept food in your bag, but you still wouldn't eat it.
Bagpipe	Couldn't really bear to... I was goin' to have it as a reward for myself, once the trainin' was over. Scoff it down at the happiest moment.
Horn	I once maintained that a person too attached to her home, unable to surmount the past, could not become a good officer. So, though your grades at Royal Guard were exceptional, and Instructor Slim spared no effort in recommending you to me, I still had doubts as to your potential.
Bagpipe	So that's what it was! But you've been awful nice to me since.
Horn	You proved yourself. I gradually came to understand. It's only because you have an indestructible attachment in you, that you could become who you are today, a most excellent Victorian soldier, someone to surpass me.
[More explosions are heard.]
Horn	Bagpipe, what I say next, you need to listen well– We have to give up on this block. I'm about to take Cello's group to a comms base in the northeast corner. We're hoping it hasn't been occupied by the spectre force yet. And you, go immediately to the contact station, find a Messenger, and ensure you find them a way out of the city too. If there's already no way left, then make one. Bagpipe, I order you. Shy at no cost. You have to relay out what's happened in County Hillock.
<Background fades out and in>
Busy Youth	Dammit. The others are all with The Leader doing more meaningful things, and I get the rotten luck of sweeping up here... Funny now that I think about it. There's fighting going on all over. Why would The Leader insist I sweep clean around the statue?
[As the young man walks awy, Janie grabs him.]
Busy Youth	Huh? Who is it... What are you grabbing at me for?
Janie	...... Is this where... Saoirse died?
Busy Youth	Saoirse? You mean the traitor The Leader executed? Yeah, it was all her fault. She's dead, and you want me here bloody sweeping up these ashes...
Janie	You mean, what you're sweeping is...
Busy Youth	Rubbish, nothing more.
Janie	...No. She... She was a good girl. To her family, to her friends... she was so warm. She gave... everything for this city. Why? What... did she even do wrong? She teared up just reading romance novels–she'd never have it in her to harm anyone...
Busy Youth	Wh... What in the world's wrong with you? Do you sympathize with this traitor? Just who are you?!
Janie	She's not called "traitor." Her name is Saoirse. She shouldn't be lying here so alone. I'm taking her back home.
Busy Youth	You've got a screw loose. I'm leaving.
[The young man leaves...]
<Background fades out and in>
[...and reports Janie's presence to a Dublinn soldier.]
Dublinn Soldier	What's happening over there?
Busy Youth	Sir! There's someone strange, crouching there, going on and on about taking the traitor home! I think she might be an enemy as well, and a traitor too!!
Dublinn Soldier	Alright, good on you for reporting.
[While Janie is gathering up Saoirse's cremated ashes, a Dublinn soldier approaches her.]
Dublinn Soldier	Hey, who are you?
Janie	...... (...Saoirse, maybe you were wrong, and so was I.) (You used your life to protect these people, and they didn't even care that you did. And they welcomed the rioters, too. The way this city's turned out now, they're not that innocent at all.)
Dublinn Soldier	Are you from the other side?
Janie	The other side? I don't know anymore–which side I'm even stood on.
Dublinn Soldier	Don't move! Any more, and your skull is–
[The Dublinn soldier is shot dead by several Victorian soldiers who have just arrived.]
Victorian Soldier	Dealt with yet another few.
[Several Dublinn soldiers and sympathizers are killed after a short skirmish.]
Victorian Soldier	Rabblesome dregs... hah, I'll take however many I can do in on the retreat. Hey, Vouivre over there, have you seen more of them about?
Janie	(...Dregs.) (Calling Saoirse rubbish. Of course they're dregs.) They just went running that way.
Victorian Soldier	We'll head right over–
[The Victorian soldiers pursue the fleeing Dublinn soldiers.]
It seemed as if I heard the residents' shrieks, and seemed too as if I'd heard nothing at all. I only thought of bringing Saoirse away, but no matter how I tried to put the strength in my fingers, the ash would still slip and fall through the cracks.
Janie	Saoirse...
A hand reached out to me.
Outcast	Time to get clear out, Jane.
<Background 3>
Outcast	Here, lemon tea. Warm up.
Janie	*Sob*...
Outcast	If you want to cry, just let it out.
Janie	...I can't get the tears out.
Outcast	I can feel your anger. Do you hate them?
Janie	Perhaps...
Outcast	You got those soldiers to grab a Taran who supports the riots. That make you feel any better?
Janie	...No. Maybe, I hate myself even more. If... I didn't hand that slip over, Saoirse wouldn't have died, would she? But all I wanted was to stop a bigger conflict... I thought, so long as I stood up, I could change...
Outcast	We wouldn't call it fate if it always went how we wanted. Jane, can I tell you a story?
Janie	Go on. I'll try to listen.
Outcast	I'll keep it short. Decades ago, when I was about your age... No, maybe a bit older, back when I worked for the Church–
Janie	You don't seem a thing like those Laterano clerics.
Outcast	Years and experience are pretty good at changing a person. They had me arbitrating a war. Who the sides were, or why they were fighting, that's not important anymore. The parties responsible for getting the ball rolling are probably all dust anyway. I just remember, there was a city asking for my help. I told them to lay their weapons down, I was ready to be their go-between, and off I went for peace talks with a general from the side sieging the place. The people in the city really weren't up for it, with the whole 'surrendering to tyranny' thing, so I took some drastic measures to get them talking, but we still never came to an agreement, in the end. I gave up hope and left, bringing with me just a few who were willing to quit fighting, but the second day after I left, the city was breached. Pretty much everyone who stayed ended up dead. I believe... a good chunk of them all thought, nearing death's door, I'd still come and protect them in the end. But I didn't. Looking back, I guess I was on the other side. I was the sinister pretender who'd given them hope, gotten them massacred.
Janie	But you're not!
Outcast	You sure? Who can say? After that, I renounced my appointment as a cardinal, and left Laterano.
Janie	It sounds like you tried your best...
Outcast	Really? What if I kept at it, tried harder to stop the massacre that was coming?
Janie	Then you probably couldn't save a single one.
Outcast	Or maybe I shouldn't have gone there with unrealistic hopes in the first place. Maybe I should've walked up and put a bullet in the head of the brute about to butcher an entire city.
Janie	Wouldn't that... have other consequences?
Outcast	No one can tell you the consequences of opening fire before you do it. But still, are you telling me you'd stand by and watch–just let evil happen over and over, and over again?
Janie	...I wouldn't. You're right. No matter how I keep questioning myself... I don't regret it at all.
<Background 2>
Horn	Bagpipe... I hope you can still make it.
[Horn receives a call from Triangle...]
Horn	Triangle?
[...and when she anwers, sounds of fighting are heard over the radio.]
Horn	You came in at the right time. I'm about to dash for a communications center, position not far from here. You don't have to enter the city, we'll rendezvous directly at the outskirts–
Triangle	...Leader.
Horn	What happened to you?! You sound in awful shape! Were you wounded?
Triangle	Hah... not a... big issue... ahah... forget it, it's a little big. But no need... to fuss about me. Leader, I don't have much time. We've definitely found what we were looking for. These Originium products were sent to the artillery battalion.
Horn	Artillery battalion?! The barracks' one?
[An explosion over the radio momentarily cuts off the call.]
Triangle	Yes, absolutely. We're in here right now.
Horn	The barracks have already been breached by the spectre force?!
[More explosions and shots over the phone interfere the call.]
Triangle	To be honest, I don't know. Another thing you need to know. The Originium products we found had all gone through modification.
Horn	What kind of modification?
Triangle	I only came by a part of it. Their structures aren't whole, someone's taken out the parts with active Originium... Do you still remember the serial bombing case at Stockton?
Horn	The offending group created a huge amount of incompletely combusting bombs, and caused grave Originium dust pollution in the core district, in retaliation against the government.
Triangle	Right... hah... you get what I mean. They have us surrounded... we're out of luck hiding...
Horn	And Snare? The others?!
Triangle	Snare's... next to me. There's a bolt clean through her heart... she went without too much pain, fortunately. Bass and Mandolin are still in the warehouse. Sorry. I couldn't bring them...
Horn	...... You did all you could. You're a fine leader.
Triangle	Am I, then...? Surely not as good as you, Leader.
[A heavy shot is heard over the radio.]
Triangle	These hostiles... they're bizarre. They use weapons just like ours. And on top of that, I can hear... familiar call-outs... Just who... is our enemy?
Horn	...... That's not important, Triangle. You all come back alive for me, you hear that? This is an order!
Triangle	Hah... got it, Leader. I'll keep it in mind.
[An explosion preceded by a grenade shot is heard over the radio, cutting off the call. Now the radio goes static.]