Operation story: TW-5

Operation

Story

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Characters
Ayerscarpe Folinic GreyThroat Suzuran Severin Tatjana Stubborn Townsfolk Townsfolk Townsfolk Armed Infected
Backgrounds
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Before operation

“

A song echoes across the city as the sun begins to set, and Severin launches a search thinking that this was a signal for colluding enemies. Suzuran and Folinic have a dispute over whether to stop fighting and expand rescue efforts, or to continue searching for the perpetrator of the murder.

”

<Background black>
Folinic	Singing...? How...
Suzuran	Wow, it's echoing through the whole town...
A pale blue light spills over the desolate streets. In amongst the flickers of illumination, are people and the lives they led. The two stand alone in an otherwise empty town. The hazy song weaves into a web, and the sun continues to set.
<Background 2>
Exposed Originium clusters, restless protesters, pale starlight, and mud bricks all fall silent together. All that remains... is the song...
<Background 1>
Folinic	What is this... what am I seeing? Are these Originium Arts? A folk song...? Or a poem? At sunset? Is this a Wolumonde tradition?
Suzuran	Um... Miss Folinic, do you understand the lyrics?
Folinic	No... is that the Leithanian tongue? It doesn't sound like modern Leithanian pronunciation...
Suzuran	But... it sounds nice. It reminds me of looking out over the plains from the bridge of Rhodes Island for the very first time. It's melodious... ancient... This is... also Arts... but the same kind as the ancient Arts of Higashi!
<Background fades out and in>
[Severin appears.]
Severin	Find them.
Townsfolk	Sure, but then what? Arrest them?
Severin	Yes.
Townsfolk	That'll just stir up even more resentment.
Severin	We're doing this to keep them from fomenting animosity between Infected and non-infected. The Winterwisps may well have been behind all this.
Suzuran	Mr. Severin?! Wh-what is this?
Severin	It's a Winterwisp ballad, for rituals and funerals. The Winterwisps are responsible for agitating Infected conflicts and leading the partisans to destroy our power plant. Now is not the time for leniency. They're trying to tell us something. They wouldn't tip their hand for no reason. There must be others out there in the shadows. Probably casters. Keep an eye out.
Folinic	What exactly is a Winterwisp?
Severin	Local Caprinae. They were the people of these mountains, centuries ago.
Folinic	What happened to them?
Severin	Wolumonde clashed with the Winterwisp. Nothing more.
Folinic	No. There's more to it than that. Columbia and Rim Billiton, pretty much every country has some kind of history of settler colonialism. There's another force at work here. You're just looking for a simple answer to dodge the question, aren't you? You'll just leave it as "conflicts" and "clashes?"
Severin	I'm not sure I should be talking about this with you. It goes beyond what Rhodes Island has a need to know... A Gendarmerie telling these things to a foreign enterprise will make certain aristocrats very unhappy.
Folinic	You're... worried about unhappy aristocrats...?! Atro sacrificed herself for you! And you're talking about saving face?!
Suzuran	M-Miss Folinic! Her sacrifice... shouldn't be ammunition for an argument. Mr. Severin...! Can you please stop this manhunt? It's only agitating people. It's only going to make things worse!
Folinic	... No... We're following our only lead. We can't afford to lose it.
Suzuran	Huh...?
Folinic	Severin, with as many nomadic cities as there are in Leithania, do you really think any of those nobles give a shit about you from atop their ivory towers? Even considering the Great Rift, if a nearby city were to offer support, would there really be a famine? Severin, look at the situation. See for yourself who is really here to help you!
Severin	I know... Miss Folinic. I know better than anyone. But I also know Rhodes Island can't help us forever. Once we're safe again and Wolumonde is back on course, I don't want to be getting letters from those ivory towers. You have to understand that.
Suzuran	But Miss Folinic, we–
[An explosion is heard.]
Suzuran	–An explosion?! Another attack?
Townsfolk	Schultz! Help! We need help!
Severin	Slow down. What happened?
Townsfolk	They, they activated those town defense things! They exploded, and everything's burning, they–!
Severin	Calm down!
[Tatjana rushes to Severin.]
Tatjana	Schultz! The Infected... they've captured all of the Gendarmerie patrolling Zwölftontechnik Strasse! We lost contact with them! They're using the Gramophones to push us back. The whole district is out of control!
Severin	They shouldn't be so well-organized. Who's leading them?
Tatjana	We don't know. But a lot of the non-infected have joined the protest. Wolumonde is completely divided!
Severin	Ugh. Damn you, Winterwisps... Surround the district. Control the crowd. We have to take the town back. *Cough* *cough*, *hack* *cough*!
Tatjana	Schultz!
Severin	Damn it... You get back to the Rathaus and sound the alarm. This has devolved into something far worse than just a dispute between the Infected. I'm putting Wolumonde under martial law. Raise the entire militia.
Tatjana	But if we start killing each other now, Wolumonde won't survive the winter!
Severin	I gave you an order!
Tatjana	Y-yes sir!
Severin	...... As for you Rhodes Islanders... Do what you feel is right. To be frank, I don't have time to keep an eye on you.
Folinic	I still need more information.
Suzuran	B-but we should do what we can to help people first... A lot of innocent civilians are getting caught up in this mess...
Folinic	We'll find the killer. That takes priority.
Severin	...I promise, Wolumonde will provide Rhodes Island with a satisfactory answer.
Folinic	I hope you'll keep that promise.
Severin	If I'm still alive by then.
<Background 2>
Suzuran	...Miss Folinic, we should have stopped Mr. Severin.
Folinic	No use. You saw them. The pressure's gotten to them.
Suzuran	Oh... is that so? But if a famine really is as imminent as the officer says, we'll still have to...
Folinic	...The only way to calm everyone down is to find the murderer as soon as possible. And letting our one lead go cold isn't an option.
Suzuran	That's not what I meant... ...... Miss Folinic, do you really think finding the killer will solve all our problems?
Folinic	I...
Suzuran	Try to stay calm, Miss Folinic.
Folinic	...Suzuran?
Suzuran	You know... everyone is burning with rage right now. Nobody has a clear head. I think... it's just my gut feeling, but my intuition is usually pretty accurate! I think maybe... something even worse is starting to happen. The kind of thing that you can't be sure if it's right or wrong... What we have to do is try to help as many innocent people as we can. Miss Folinic... If we don't stop Mr. Severin, things are going to get really, really bad.
Folinic	...Maybe you're right.
Suzuran	I... ...Mm.

After operation

“

Tatjana risks her life to protect the citizenry by rushing out into the middle of the riot. Fortunately, GreyThroat and Ayerscarpe join in the nick of time, but the riot is still on the verge of escalating out of control.

”

<Background 1>
Suzuran	Hurry! This way!
Townsfolk	Thanks!
[The townsfolk evacuates.]
Suzuran	Folinic!
Folinic	Lisa! Take the civilians and get out of here!
[The rioters attacked.]
Folinic	Gah–! Are the rioters... just attacking at random?
Armed Infected A	Hey! It wasn't easy to get that gizmo. You better shoot straight!
Armed Infected B	Shut it! This thing isn't easy to use! Luckily I studied at the conservatory!
Armed Infected A	Which one?! Hey, Gendarmerie! Don't do anything stupid. We got hostages!
Armed Infected B	What hostages?!
Armed Infected A	Arschgeige! The ones running down the street!
Folinic	Hmph!
Tatjana	Miss Folinic! You have to stop them! Everything here is made of wood. This whole block will go up in flames!
[The townsfolk runs away from a fire that had broken out.]
Townsfolk	Fire! Put it out! Everyone else, get out of here!
Tatjana	So many innocent people won't make it out in time. We must save them!
Folinic	How are we supposed to get over there?!
Tatjana	Gah! The fire! Folinic! Please tend to the wounded!
[Tatjana rushes to put out the fire.]
Folinic	Hey!
Stubborn Townsfolk	Winterwisps! Infected! Vermin! Why did you burn my home?! Why?! We did so much for you!
Tatjana	Watch your head.
Stubborn Townsfolk	Huh?
[The townsfolk was saved from a collapsing building...]
Stubborn Townsfolk	Hmm... Oh. Tatjana? A-are you okay?!
[...by Tatjana.]
Tatjana	Ugh... I'm fine. But they can't control those automatic Arts units. We're in danger here!
Stubborn Townsfolk	We'll fight back together! Push them out!
Tatjana	Now... isn't the time...! Gah...!
Stubborn Townsfolk	Your foot...! F-fine, I'll listen to you!
Tatjana	Get out of here!
[The townsfolk evacuates.]
Tatjana	(This terrible pain in my ankle... is my bone broken? Damn it...) (I have to get back to the others...)
Armed Infected	You! Noble puppet!
Tatjana	Huh?!
[A rioter attacks the crippled Tatjana.]
<Background 2>
Severin	They all routed?
Townsfolk	Y– yes!
[Suzuran rushes to Severin.]
Suzuran	Mr. Severin, we have a lot of wounded. We need help...!
Severin	Medics, you are to obey this young Vulpo's every word. Able-bodied youth will help as well.
Townsfolk	Yes, sir!
[The townsfolk leaves.]
Suzuran	If only Miss Folinic was here...
Severin	Wait... she isn't back yet? Oi! Where are Folinic and Tatjana?
Townsfolk	They, I think they're still at Zwölftontechnik Strasse...
Severin	Did I not just ask if they all routed?!
Townsfolk	Er! S– sorry, sir! But Folinic and Tatjana should be alright. They've saved many lives!
Severin	What do you mean they'll be alright? The insurgents have control of our town's defenses, we have no regular troops, and—*cough* *cough* *cough*! —*cough*, get some heavies and come with me.
Townsfolk	But they have firepower, and maybe hostages. We shouldn't provoke them any more. Let's wait for a chance to parley.
Severin	A chance? You're going to wait for the enemy to give you a chance? Have you ever fought a battle?!
Townsfolk	S-sorry!
[Someone approaches Severin.]
???	But his concerns are reasonable. The active Originium left behind by the Great Rift are likely still in the foundation of Wolumonde. The consequences of letting them destroy it would be unthinkable.
Townsfolk	Where did you come from? You shouldn't be here!
Severin	No. With no Gendarmerie, we're the ones who shouldn't be here... I've seen you before, Rhodes Island Operators.
GreyThroat	Thank you for understanding. Ayerscarpe?
Ayerscarpe	A quick, on-the-spot assessment: if they continue to bombard the area with that device, we have ten to thirty minutes before Wolumonde comes to a halt. The best way to handle this would be to sever the link between this district and the rest of the city, but Wolumonde is no nomadic city. Individual districts do not have the power to move autonomously.
Severin	Actually, a tractor could do it... But not when the streets are full of rebels.
GreyThroat	Is there an application procedure for an armed intervention?
Severin	...Go nuts. And please... Be sure to save Tatjana and Folinic.
Suzuran	Mr. Severin, we need– Ah!
GreyThroat	...Lisa?
Suzuran	Is... is that Operator GreyThroat? And who's this?
Ayerscarpe	Operator Ayerscarpe, bodyguard of Catastrophe Messenger Leonhardt. He is out on another mission, so I got dragged over here.
GreyThroat	Lisa, where are Atro and Folinic?
Suzuran	Miss Folinic is still in there! But Miss Atro... she's... um...
GreyThroat	It's okay. I understand. I just had to be sure... We'll talk about it later.
Suzuran	Mmm... It's, it's nice to have some senior operators coming to help... B-but I still need to stay focused! I'll take care of the wounded. Whatever you do, please bring Miss Folinic back safely!
GreyThroat	Right. I will.
<Background 1>
[Ayerscarpe and GreyThroat rushes to the Zwölftontechnik Strasse to look after Folinic.]
Ayerscarpe	Such a young child... she's an operator?
GreyThroat	Amiya isn't much older than Lisa, you know.
Ayerscarpe	Yeah... We did not plan for this rescue, nor do we have the protective equipment. Are you going to be okay?
GreyThroat	Yes.
Ayerscarpe	What a surprise. They always said you couldn't handle working around Originium. I was worried.
GreyThroat	I've had enough of tragedy is all. Saving lives is what matters. Cut the chatter.
Armed Infected	What the? More people coming in? And they're fast! G-get rid of them!
Ayerscarpe	So many locals. You fine with that?
GreyThroat	Avoid the vitals. Engage.