Plume: A Grand, Distant Ideal

Operator Record A Grand, Distant Ideal
She'll bear that old halberd, and she'll go on.

Unlock conditions

• Raise Plume to Elite 1 Level 55.
• Have at least 50% Trust with Plume.

Characters

Doctor Astesia Firewatch Gavial Orchid Plume Human Resources Operator

Backgrounds

1 2

“

During an ambush, Plume decides to abandon her by-the-books guard training and places her trust in her own abilities as well as those of her teammate.

”

<Background black>
A cleric, a scientist, a medic, a government worker, a power plant technician... Leia, what do you want to be when you grow up? ...You want to join the guards? Isn't that an awfully boring job? Like, you'll have to stand at the entrance to the city and try to keep a straight face when someone tells you a joke. You'll have to get out of bed before sunrise to start your drills. You'll also have to take a ton of tests, and you'll only become a fully-fledged member after passing all of them. You're not very tall, you're not in very good shape, and you'd struggle to pass those tests, you know. I see... So, you want to protect others? Leia, you have a very grand and lofty ideal.
<Background 1>
Eastern Columbia Wastelands
[Firewatch and Plume walks through the canyons.]
Firewatch	Stay calm. We won't be able to use the communicator until the next base station. This is a normal phenomenon. You didn't break it, nor is it going to get a signal no matter how much you fiddle around with it.
Plume	Sure, understood.
Firewatch	Seems like you haven't been on many field operations since joining Rhodes Island.
Plume	Yes. Sorry. I lack practical experience, so I'll work harder to make up for it.
Firewatch	If I remember right, you were one of Laterano's... city guards?
Plume	A member of the Guards. Defending Laterano is indeed one of my duties. Er, or rather, was. Now, I'm a Rhodes Island operator.
Firewatch	You certainly conduct yourself with the air of a guard. I often see you standing lookout on the deck. The others have taken to calling you "that Laterano guard". I can relate to that sense of vigilance though. There are always lurking threats, even inside the landship. And it can be an honor to be known by your duties.
Plume	That's all in the past now... Well, it wasn't that long ago. But still, I prefer to go by Plume. That said, I'm not really sure how to introduce myself. After coming to Rhodes Island, I never got put in a permanent squad, nor did I get a welcoming party... The work I do here is also very different from what I did in Laterano, and I've been having trouble adjusting.
Firewatch	I understand. —Watch out!
[Firewatch pushes Plume aside.]
Firewatch	There are snipers nearby. Multiple.
Plume	Bandits?
Firewatch	Not sure if they're after Rhodes Island, or just wasteland opportunists. ...Conventional weaponry, judging from this bolt. Looks like they've had their eyes on this logistics escort mission for quite some time now. There aren't many places to bunker down in this terrain, and the enemy snipers won't have much cover, but setting up my crossbow here is still risky.
Plume	I'll protect you. I've received similar training in Laterano, often with squad mates using guns. I'll deal with any attackers who try to close the distance.
Firewatch	Alright. Be careful out there. As long as we're exchanging fire at this range, I'm more than confident in my own weapon's specs.
[Firewatch moves in to a vantage point.]
Plume	(Keep moving at high speeds so the enemies can't land a shot.) (Draw their attention away from where Firewatch is hiding.)
[Multiple assailants show up and attacked Plume, who blocked it.]
Plume	Ngh! (No problem. This guy's knife doesn't have as much reach as my poleaxe. I can safely handle a frontal attack as well.) (Now, create some distance so the enemy snipers won't feel worried about friendly fire.)
[Plume runs away from the assailants...]
Plume	(When they make their move, Firewatch will lock on to their positions and return fire.)
[...as a crossbow bolt flies past her.]
Plume	What?! (They're not aiming for me, but at where Firewatch is lying in ambush?)
[Plume runs to the source of the crossbow shots...]
<Background fades out and in>
[...and struck down the attacker.]
Plume	Huff... Huff... (I'm burning through my stamina... faster than expected...) (Get it together! I need to cover Firewatch while she repositions.) (––No, that's not right.) (So far, I've done everything exactly by the book, like we trained.) (But if I know these tactics by heart, the other side might too.)
<Background 2>
Astesia	Before discussing possible interference in Rhodes Island's affairs from rival businesses in Columbia, I'd first like to bring up one of the operators involved in this mission—Plume. I just looked up some records, and she's been going on a few too many field operations recently... Actually, her schedule is already tightly packed through the next month. I bring this up because although these missions are generally less dangerous, that doesn't mean she's not building up fatigue. We could be at significant risk were they to be attacked by a mercenary organization during this escort mission. To be honest, nobody noticed that she, uh, submitted so many assignment requests all at once.
Orchid	From what I recall, she was never a fan of taking on missions. The last time she went on a mission with Reserve Op Team A6, to rescue Infected children, it was her first field operation. I remember it clearly, because I was the squad leader.
Gavial	Ha, that's right. Even though everyone's seen her around, not many actually know her code name. Most just call her that Laterano guard on the deck. It is what it is though. Who told her not to sign up for missions?
Astesia	I've tried talking to her before, but she seemed... how to put this... rather aloof? One night, I saw her standing there staring off into the sky. So I asked if she was interested in giving astrology a try. After all, my divinations have earned even the Doctor's recognition. Turns out, she didn't even know what astrology is. She listened to my explanation very politely, but didn't seem at all interested. Alas, what a terrible shock that was.
Gavial	Oh, she was mumbling some mystical mumbo-jumbo the other day. She got that from you then? When she accompanied Backfire to Medical two days ago, she was muttering about "phases" and "zeniths" and so on. I wanted to slap her out of it, right on the treatment table.
Astesia	Hm, she may have missed the point somewhat... but I'm glad she at least remembered the words.
Orchid	Dr. Gavial, the kids from A6 are afraid to go to Medical for checkups. If you could just work on your bedside manner...
Gavial	No can do. If they're afraid of the croc doc, that's THEIR problem. Psychologically speaking.
Astesia	Speaking of which, did the members of A6 work well with Plume on that one operation you had together?
Orchid	Extremely. She's a very well-trained fighter. To be honest, I wish the rest of the team would take orders half as well as she did... And on the way back, she was very enthusiastic about teaching Catapult and Popukar how to write an operation report. However, she never offered any of her own opinions until the mission debriefing. If she'd taken initiative during the operation itself, things might've gone even better... Maybe she found the members of A6 too unreliable, and didn't dare suggest changing plans in the middle of battle.
Gavial	She's too rigid. We're not the army here, and our main advantage comes from our flexibility to adjust to any changes.
Orchid	Oh right, from what I've heard of other operations, you used to be the leader of a tribe, right? You must've been good at leading large groups... and large fights?
Gavial	Heh, you spend way too much time rubbing shoulders with the folks in HR. But my past's not as simple as that...
<Background 1>
[Plume breaks through the assailants in her way.]
Plume	Phew... (Charge forward again, then retreat in the direction of Firewatch.)
[...as a sharpshooter is shot dead...]
Plume	Hah, tricked them.
[...by Firewatch from a distance.]
Firewatch	Enemy sniper down. Plume, create some distance.
Plume	On it.
[Plume moves away, giving Firewatch a clear shot on one of the attackers, which she takes out. Plume returns to her previous position.]
Plume	The attackers have been dealt with.
[Firewatch regroups with Plume.]
Firewatch	A job well done. You led them towards where I was hiding, not away. This threw off their intuitions, confusing them into thinking I was hiding elsewhere. When snipers face off in the open wilderness, the moment someone reveals their position with their attention on the wrong spot... they're done for. Your quick thinking was both brave and incredibly smart.
Plume	Uh... thank you. I was about to apologize for acting on my own though. That strategy could've put you at risk, and we didn't agreed on it beforehand. I was supposed to cover you, but ended up doing the exact opposite.
Firewatch	No, I'm very glad that you chose in the moment to put your faith in me and trust my abilities.
Plume	Yes, it's something another senior at Rhodes Island taught me before. She said she hoped I could trust my companions more, as well as... my own judgment. I—
Firewatch	What's wrong? Are you hurt?
Plume	Huff... I'm fine, I probably just pushed myself too hard.
Firewatch	Head back to the vehicle first and rest then. We'll make our way to the en route safe house ASAP, then report this attack to the Rhodes Island landship. Let me help. That weapon of yours might be a bit too heavy for you right now.
Plume	Huff... Thanks... But I can handle my own poleaxe. I've trained with it so much that it's basically a part of me.
Firewatch	I can tell that you're academy-trained. You're quick to respond to surprise attacks, take action without hesitation, and can nimbly find cover while in the line of fire of two different snipers. But I don't think any academy would teach a poleaxe user to sacrifice the weapon's power and rely on speed.
Plume	You're right, I didn't follow the standard guard training. The seniors in my squad privately suggested that I offset my weaknesses by bolstering my strengths, so I incorporated some tricks into my fighting style and barely passed the course.
Firewatch	A very good tradeoff, if you ask me. Have you ever considered taking up a different weapon though?
Plume	Most of the guard forces used poleaxes.
Firewatch	Hm... Of course, that's your decision to make. But since you've already found your personal style, it shouldn't be a problem either way. Have you recovered a little?
Plume	I drank some saline water and already feel a lot better. I did make a mistake earlier, which made me burn through my stamina too quickly. I wasn't pacing myself at the start of the fight.
Firewatch	What you remind me of—from what I'm familiar with at least—is a prey animal that's been hunted day and night. Have you gotten enough rest lately?
Plume	Huh? I don't have anything like that going on. As a matter of fact, it feels really fulfilling to have a duty to carry out each and every day.
Firewatch	Every day?
Plume	Mhm. When I first came to Rhodes Island, I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing. Recently, I realized that I should be taking the initiative to apply for missions.
Firewatch	While I can more or less understand how you feel... Going on too many field operations is unreasonable. You need rest, and your weapon needs maintenance too. Have you even been to the Engineering Department since coming to Rhodes Island?
Plume	Huh? No, but I think my weapon is in pretty good shape.
Firewatch	Don't worry, the craftspeople here are familiar with Laterano weapons. There are several masters in the repair shop who can fix even guns with ease. They might even be able to give you some ideas on how to upgrade your poleaxe to make it more comfortable.
Plume	Good idea. I'll keep that in mind. Honestly, I've been thinking the same thing. My weapon could use some modifications, since our tasks here are so different from the guard forces.
Firewatch	Let's get a move on. The sun's starting to set, and we need to reach the safe house before dark.
<Background 2>
Firewatch	And that's a full overview of the field operation. After dispatching the ambushers at the outset, we encountered no other threats. The attackers were obviously mercenaries, and I've collected the bolts they used. Unfortunately, this information alone cannot reveal the identity of whoever's behind this. I'll leave them here with the report, Doctor. If you have no other questions, I'll take my leave.
[Firewatch leaves the room.]
Plume	I'll also–
Doctor	Hold on a moment, Plume. Someone from HR wants to talk to you.
Plume	Alright... I'm honored that you remember my code name, Doctor.
[A R.I. HR staff approaches Plume.]
Human Resources Operator	Your application to serve as the Doctor's bodyguard has been carefully reviewed. Unfortunately, the Doctor has decided that a personal bodyguard is unnecessary while aboard the Rhodes Island landship.
Plume	Oh, that's something I sent out earlier... Um... Thank you for your time and patience. I'm sorry that my abilities are not up to par...
Human Resources Operator	Ahem... You don't need to take it that seriously, Plume. The good news is that you've been recognized for your performance in recent field missions, and the Doctor will need escorts when conducting operations away from the ship.
Plume	In other words, I got the job?
Human Resources Operator	That's right. That said, one of our operators reported that you've been applying for an unusually high number of field missions. As HR Department staff, I need to know the reason. Although you've been pretty tight-lipped about your past, you did come with those two Laterano operators after all...
Plume	I don't know what they've been through, nor do I have the right to ask.
Human Resources Operator	What I'm trying to say is that I've heard a word or two about your pre-Rhodes Island situation from them. Uh, the way they put it was that they "felt bad for you because you seemed so lost and directionless all the time," which is why they brought you out of Laterano. onsidering that you still value Laterano glory, but have been dismissed from the guard forces, I would like to confirm your motives for taking on these recent field missions. Are you regretting the decision you made at the time?
Plume	No, I don't regret it... At least not anymore. I can trust my own judgment now. In the face of life and death, the rules can be bent. And after coming to Rhodes Island, I realized that people with Oripathy don't infect others simply by walking down the street, nor are they just waiting for death to come. Seeing how Backfire is still alive and conscious, can still participate in training, and can still talk to the captain as energetically as before... It truly makes me happy. I've also come to terms with the fact that I can't go back to the Laterano Guards. Rhodes Island and Laterano are completely different places, and I've also had to change. Plus, I'm really fascinated by the things people talk about here, even if I don't fully understand them. In my experience, field missions give me more opportunities to work with my teammates, and should help me better integrate into the group.
Human Resources Operator	About that... Actually, many operators bond over common interests, such as Pinecone's woodcrafting group, or Vigna's band... Speaking of which, they seem to be missing a bass player right now?
Plume	Mm... Thanks for letting me know. I'll think about it. By the way, Firewatch recommended the "Vitafield" clothing brand to me. I heard they're currently in a business relationship with us. Can you tell me more about it?
Human Resources Operator	Eh... Plume?
Doctor	Go ahead and show her around. / I think we're done with the serious stuff.
Human Resources Operator	Um, alright, if it's fine with you, Doctor. I'll go grab one of my colleagues then.