Rolled 8 (1d12)

>>143052
>Send Murakumo out to help
>Deactivate Hunker Mode; bring the RAY to them

Rolled 3 (1d12)

>>143140
Supporting

Rolled 8 (1d12)

>>143052
>>143140
Supporting this

File: Murakumo Battle.jpg (151 KB, 845x872)

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‘Shigure, there’s another hostile heading your way.’ You say, as calmly as you can as the virtual knobs and turns, the beeping sound of agreement coming through them. You make a decision quickly, and take thought to whatever had happened – and whatever would happen would be dependent on your decisions right now.

Nachi and Tenryuu are immobile. Their injuries from the explosion and firefight are taxing on their person, their combat capabilities hampered by them. Shigure is somehow fighting fit and is able to hold her own against those two things. Now, you had another problem in the form of a hostile Flagship type heading their way.

‘Murakumo, get to Shigure!’ You command, your eye still on Nachi’s and Tenryuu’s vital – they were stable, but there is no way they’d be able to haul themselves back here. You tap a window, prompting another screen.

Sometimes you had to do things yourself.

HUNKER MODE DEACTIVATING IN 3 MINUTES

‘En route!’ You notice that Murakumo’s visual feed is already a blur of blue and grey. ‘I’m supersonic. Be there in thirty seconds!’

Relief washes over you. Clever girl – she’d known what you were thinking long before you did. You open all comm channels. Nachi and Tenryuu’s feed shows Shigure engaging in a lightning-fast speed exchange with the two creatures, some of them stabbing at her, clawing at her and trying to wrap their tongues around her to keep her steady. Shigure’s fast enough to get away with little more than a few nicks.

The damage screen on Shigure’s status states she is in battle condition, but in no way fighting fit.

She couldn’t this for much longer. Whatever she had done previously had left her in no hope of keeping up this pace for much longer. Shigure dodges as you finish the thought, grabbing the hands – the front legs – of the second creature. She throws it off her, but not before it gets her shoulder with one of its tails.

‘Shigure!’

‘Still able, Commander!’

There’s a manic quality to her voice, a sheer thrill… you bark at her to finish, before the alert makes itself known to you again. Her guns were dead weight long before she initiated combat – Shigure was practically helpless save for her melee options.

But Murakumo’s guns aren't.

‘Contact!’

The last thing your feed shows you before the visual disappears is Murakumo’s arrival. In agony, you wait. The unknown fates of your crew on your mind make you grate your teeth and grab onto the throttle in desperation.

SENSORS ONLINE

SYSTEMS ACTIVE

ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL

Your contact with them isn’t re-established, but four blips say that they’re still with you. You gun it. The compound comes into view an instant later and you see a firefight breaking out under it. The two creatures are still alive.

And you see the Flagship arriving… and them not noticing.

>Gun it!
>Shield them with RAY

>>143296
>>Gun it!

>>143296
>Gun it!

>>143296
>Gun it!

So I'm not sure how good the shields or whatever are on this boat, so...

>>143296
>Gun it!
Can we get Nachi or Tenryuu to quickly extract whatever doohickey we're supposed to get before we cut and run?

File: B-Rank Heavy Cruiser Flagship.png (818 KB, 640x800)

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There’s no debate. You only act in instinct. You increase the throttle on the RAY, blasting the thrusters. The red warning screen comes on but you don’t pay any attention to it.

You ram into it with all you got, which is several tons of throttle-boosted war machine.

The RAY runs, nose first, into the Abyssal.

It doesn’t do much.

Alerts pop up all over the HUD as its evident now just how tough an Abyssal could really be. You jet across the ocean – more warnings appear as it seems that all you’d done is give it a new target… which had been what you’d been hoping for, at least. You can’t establish contact with in this mode – the Hunker Mode acted as a relay for direct contact, a medium – between you and the KanMusu. In this mode, all you can do is pray that they get the idea.

Now, though, they’re the least of your worries.

The Ri-Class Flagship latches upon the nose of the RAY. The visuals show it pounding into the craft as you spin in an effort to shake it off. Even if you can’t harm it you can at least throw it off-balance enough that it can’t fire its weapons. The Ri-Class’s shots skim the surface of the craft as it seems to roar in frustration, holding on to it.

It punches through the nose with one of it’s hammer-like appendages.

One of the stereoscopic visual feeds comes undone – you feel the feedback like its one huge pulse of static coming right through you. You here a voice, from the observation external channel, from the deck – someone is saying something – but you don’t pay any attention to it.

Right now, you had a bug to get off your windshield.

WARNING: HULL DAMAGE

You act on instinct, gunning for the compound again – you had shot past it a few times in the duel – somehow, you feel as though the spirit of the Crazy Old Man channels itself within you as the orange screens come online. The Ri-Class rips through the nose – a quick read of the status readouts show that you’re still fine – it didn’t matter; as long as you had one good eye on the RAY HUD and the throttle…

You could use one of the creatures as a scraping tool.

Shigure and Murakumo move out of the way.

The RAY rams the creature, the Ri-Class at the tip of its torn nose.

They both fly – even with the fuzz, you can see that there are scrapes and parts flying from the creature… and strangely, the Abyssal.

The creature’s claw, now ripped from its joint, had found a home in her thigh.

From your feed, the Abyssal roars, firing off one of its weapons at the other creature, who dodges swiftly. It hits the pillars.

It hits the pillars really well.

Concrete and steel fall as you realize this mission is over. You open the bays of the RAY as the Abyssal and the creatures rear on one another.

The KanMusu need no telling what to do; they’re inside.

You light the engines up and as the structure crumbles, get back into safer waters.

MISSION FAILED

>Skip Mission Log
>Access Mission Log

>>143817
>>Access Mission Log

>>143817
>Access Mission Log

>>143817
>Access Mission Log
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A

File: Relax It Happens.jpg (4 KB, 370x100)

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YOKOSUKA BASE OPERATIONS OFFICIAL STATEMENT

1ST OPERATIONS DIVISION

DATED: XX/XX/XX

Made landing at Aquarius Supply Compound. Weather was bright and clear, proceeded as per objectives. Compound was in reported condition. Made immediate contact with resisting force – no losses and initial forces eliminated. Entry to base met with no further resistance. The inside of the compound showed no signs of damage from combat and no working power source. Objective was inside, so proceeded with extreme caution.

Encountered Aquarius Supply Compound crew encased in an organic-synthetic chrysalis in an unverifiable state. Was not able to confirm whether or not the crew were alive or dead. Did not take a sample of the object as Squadron did not have the necessary means to contain and secure, and thus return a sample for study. Did not attempt rescue of crew as did not know how substance would react to KanMusu or other organic touch if attempted to remove them.

Signal of KanMusu was detected in exploration of the Aquarius. KanMusu of unknown identity was detected and morphed into a creature of unidentifiable origin. KanMusu was treated as hostile as it attacked the inspecting squadron with DD-equivalent speed. The entity was treated as hostile and engaged, resulting in injuries to Squadron Leader Nachi and Support Tenryuu. As engagement progressed, an equivalent entity appeared and assaulted the Squadron, as aggressive as the last.

In the ensuing engagement with the entity, the compound collapsed. Manual rescue attempted by Commander, resulting in abandonment of mission and damage sustained to RAY.

Objective not secured. Two KanMusu heavily injured and one KanMusu lightly damaged. Auxuliary supplies retrieved.

-1ST OPERATIONS DIVISION COMMANDER (YOKOSUKA)

LOG ENDS

>Attempt communique with Admiral
>Talk to Division Squadron (Optional, may trigger other values - has no big effect)
>Return to Base (Straight to debriefing)

>>144030
>Talk to Division Squadron

>>144030
>Talk to Division Squadron

>>143492
Structure's crumbling from Nachi's torpedo, both of them are floating on the ocean and heavily-damaged. Getting them to run inside would be suicide, especially with these two things up and about... even if they DID have the energy and stamina to spare.

File: After The Mission.jpg (384 KB, 694x982)

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Even with its nose wide open like a popped can, the instruments on the RAY still work. The only real damage from the battle had been the over-exertion of the throttle and steering mechanisms, but the on-board fairies were now hastily working to make sure the feedback and controls are at least in workable condition. Your visual feed is a little fuzzy – a testament to the damage from your engagement with the Ri-Class Flagship, but you can see just as well.

You let out a breath that you didn’t realize that you had been holding when you cross the RAY into relatively less hostile waters. You ease on the throttle as the instruments show it reading red again. The last thing you want right now is for the KanMusu, damaged as they are, to be stranded.

You could only take so much humiliation in a few hours. It is a hollow muse.

‘How are you guys doing?’

‘When I see you, sir, I am going to sock you in the nose.’

You don’t need to confirm that it’s Nachi who’s saying it.

The heavily-injured KanMusu are tended to by the fairy crew, as best as they could, at least. Fairy’s Tears, fata aqueous in such small dosages could only do so much. The feed from the bay makes you a little helpless – Tenryuu and Nachi sit, their backs to the hull, tiny specks of dust trailing here and there saying that the fairies were darting left and right to keep them stable. You feel your grip tighten against the throttle, feeling wholly inadequate with yourself as you speed along.

You don’t know what to say. You never know what to say when these things happen.

Only to look in a mirror and lie to yourself again.

‘Commander.’

It’s Nachi again.

‘Thanks… for saving our asses.’ From the visual, she grunts in pain, then looks at Shigure. ‘And you’re… not as bad as they say you are. Thanks.’

Shigure actually looks stunned. Surprised. That makes for the both of you.

‘I should have known it was a trap.’ You curse underneath a breath, banging your head against your chair as the fairy jumps on your shoulder, wagging a finger at you.

‘That wasn’t a damn trap.’ Tenryuu grunts in pain as she straightens herself up. ‘Something was going on in there. We stepped in a hornet’s nest,’ you move to tell Tenryuu to keep quiet, but she continues faster than you can interject, ‘that wasn’t a damn supply compound! There’s some shady shit going on in there!’

‘Far from it for me to be a conspiracy theorist,’ Nachi winces as one of the fairies rip her top off to tend to her torso, ‘but I agree with Tenryuu.’

‘At least we got something out of it.’ Murakumo interrupts, patting the boxes she was seated on. ‘The fairies and Command could use these to engineer some better stuff for us.’

‘Commander, what do you think?’

> ‘There’s definitely something fishy.’
> ‘I don’t think they’d do pull this off without telling us.’
> ‘Get some rest. We’ll be back soon.’

>>144112
>> ‘Get some rest. We’ll be back soon.’

>>144112
>> ‘Get some rest. We’ll be back soon.’

>>144112
>‘There’s definitely something fishy.’

>>144112
>‘There’s definitely something fishy.’

File: Not Your Superior But You(...).jpg (727 KB, 727x1000)

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‘I think that you should get some rest.’ You say honestly. ‘All of you.’

‘Good call; I’m taking it.’ Tenryuu winces on the visual, leaving you to your lonesome as you switch it off, relieved that they had made it back safely, though worse for wear.

The fairy on your lap looks at you worriedly as you access the interface once more, managing to travel at a decent speed. The instruments still look stable and you’re able to maneuver the RAY just as well – there’s a slight listing, but the thrusters still work to push them a bit now. You estimate their arrival to come in, by the speed of your drone piloting, to be at about three hours. Till then, you reasoned yourself enough to keep eyes on the active sensors for any surprises.

Half an hour – maybe more – of no alerts, and you switched into a small routine, moving windows on the interface, turning dials on the physical controls and occasionally turning on your bay visuals to see the KanMusu, save Murakumo and sometimes Shigure, resting. You don’t know if you do it to sate your own worries or for a genuine duty to them as a Commander.

The fairies are good to them. The physiology of KanMusu allowed them to heal better than humans did, but you knew that they needed better treatment than what was available to you here.

Through all this, Tenryuu’s words still rang.

Whatever it was that you had encountered at Aquarius did invite a bite of curiosity. There were many things that were suspicious about the mission – the lack of a defensive force was something that raised questions, but the inside being relatively unharmed was unsettling. Abyssals were a destructive lot, you could attest to that from personal experience.

But they had handled the compound with curiosity and… wonder. Your thoughts go back to the blueprints, the pictures of the Abyssals and how they treated the base. It did indeed look like it had been under attack – but the lack of damage and the pristine condition of the inside showed that they had been unsuccessful with it, or not as successful as they hoped to be.

You rub your temples, cursing. Whatever it was that was in there was now beneath the waves, courtesy of your own intervention, Abyssal aggression and Nachi’s torpedo.

‘Commander!’ Yuubari calls out on the external audio feed.

‘Yuubari.’

‘The RAY read-out reports some physical damage.’ She sounds almost hysteric. ‘Did you crash into a reef or something?’

‘Something like that.’

There’s silence on the comm – but you can faintly make out someone counting backwards from fifty.

‘Need I remind you that the RAY isn’t a combat vehicle?’

‘No one said that Aquarius wasn’t a supply compound either.’

‘Wha – ?’

>Establish communique with Admiral
>’It’s nothing. I’m bringing them back.’

>>144180
>Establish communique with Admiral

The sooner the better, considering this didn't go exactly well.

>>144180
>Establish communique with Admiral
I wonder if they even told him.

>>144180
>Establish communique with Admiral

Make certain not to accuse the Admiral of anything, since he had mentioned from the get-go that he was in the dark about it as well.

Probably best he gets a heads up, since this has all the hallmarks of something that the upper eschelons screwed up bigtime.

File: TTK Replies.jpg (39 KB, 466x600)

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‘Yuubari, are you able to patch me through to the Admiral?’

You turn a few windows to check on the RAY’s systems. So far, they remained stable, but you dropped a few more notches on the speed, bringing it to a cruise. The KanMusu are still stable, and there is a slight rush to your actions, but you didn’t want to push the RAY, again, too hard. The engine systems look a little worn from your observations.

Yuubari practically balks at the request. You don’t need a visual to see that she probably has an expression of exasperation on her features.

‘Commander, I don’t think that you’re in the position to – !’

You’re not having any of it.

‘Yuubari,’ you begin, knowing exactly how to proceed; you won’t push her. Your day had been too long for any sort of throw-out, ‘please.’

There’s quiet for a bit. You hope it’s because Yuubari’s trying.

‘I can’t. He’s unreachable right now.’

Now it’s your turn to do the balking.

‘I’m practically fifty feet away from him.’

‘He’s… with someone.’ Yuubari admits, ‘He’s with the Grand Lieutenant.’

You practically freeze.

‘The – The Grand Lieutenant is here?’

‘Yeah,’ Yuubari says tiredly – you can hear the fatigue and defeat coming through her voice, ‘he arrived about half an hour ago.’

You swipe away a few windows as the RAY cruises along. There’d be about two hours until you established docking, from the looks of the instruments, but you’re not all there. The day just kept getting stranger. The Lieutenant General was the elected rep for the Court of Admirals. Being here meant something.

‘What do you think he’s doing here?’

‘I don’t – !’ Yuubari almost spits right out, but recovers before she can finish. ‘Speak of the devil.’

A new channel, patched through from the external net, comes into your view. The Admiral’s ID is on it.

‘Commander? Kid, you there?’

‘Sir.’

‘Are the girls okay?’

‘No,’ You admit, ‘I’m sorry, sir, but Nachi and Tenryuu are heavily damaged. The mission was a bust. I take full responsibility and – !’

‘Kid, if I wanted to find someone to hang, I’d be looking for a rope.’ The Admiral’s disappointment hurts, but there’s a fatigued quality to his voice. ‘Bring the girls back in with a report.’

‘Sir, I – !’

‘Kid, I know.’ There’s anger now. A deep, resonant anger, but… not at you, ‘I know what happened. Just bring the girls in.’

There’s a pause.

‘It’ll be okay, kid.’

The link dies and the rest of the piloting run is quiet. The fairy on your shoulder snoozes off as you bring the RAY in – with admittedly some difficulty – to the docks. The personnel and a small group of fairies are on site quickly. The RAY Interface goes offline as the pylons connect.

WELCOME BACK, COMMANDER

You open the cockpit door, to find…

>An enigmatic man
>An serious-looking woman

>>144244
>An enigmatic man
Damn government spooks.

>>144244
Yuubari having an aneurysm at the state of the RAY.

But really,
>An enigmatic man

The situation sure is dire considering it's only our second day.

>>144250
That's no spook

>>144244
>>An enigmatic man

File: Grand Lieutenant.jpg (37 KB, 636x351)

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You discard the band – tight as anything – into the pilot’s seat. As you do, you feel your sensations returning to normal. You didn’t feel like you had seven pairs of eyes or extra limbs – you felt, in a word, normal. The RAY Interface didn’t give you any vertigo of sort. It just felt like you were waking up from an uncomfortable sleep; but you’re so groggy, you don’t immediately notice the presence of a man standing in front of you as you exit it.

He looks strange. Clad in black, blonde hair slicked back with a face that neither betrayed youth nor hinted age, with high cheeks and a slight scarring over his left brow. He is cruelly and powerfully built, standing taller than you by a measure you can’t quite guess – even with that heavy trenchcoat he seemed to wear. He wears thick sunglasses, even under the shade of the dock, his arms behind his back, but you can tell he’s looking right at you with an… expectant aura.

He had been waiting for you.

‘Sorry,’ you find your bearings – your legs feel like they are walking on uneven steps, ‘didn’t see you there.’

You raise your hand, moving past him, but he grabs it.

‘Relax,’ he says to you, with a voice both soothing and somehow terrifying – and filled with authority, ‘I know how it’s like to operate in one of these old girls.’ He moves past you, smiling and tapping the open hatch with a gloved knuckle. ‘You might want to sit down for a bit. Get your balance right.’

You don’t know why you do as he says – plopping yourself right on the floor, but he’s right. You can hear the crew tending to the RAY – you hear the hiss of its bay doors opening; you find yourself too tired to get up, but your worry for your crew at least makes you turn your head to see Yuubari at the head of the group, yelling at the personnel to hurry up with the fairies.

You see Nachi’s battered form carried by Murakumo, and you find the strength to raise yourself.

You can’t seem to find balance, however.

You grab the railing. The man doesn’t help you this time – from the corner of your eyes, you see him cross his arms, his expression neutral.

‘I told you to sit down.’ He says, amused. You find your patience with him thinning away, ‘Why the rush?’

He leans against the railing overlooking the view down there, and you find your balance fully returned. You turn to him and give a nod.

‘Thanks for the tip.’You clear your throat, ‘I got to go see my tea – !’

‘Grand Lieutenant,’ comes the gruff voice of the Admiral, approaching the both of you with two MPs flanking him, ‘I thought you’d be more comfortable in the bar.’

You stiffen as you turn to the enigmatic man, who chuckles.

‘I believe I don’t need to introduce the both of you to each other anymore.’ He nods to you. ‘Commander.’

>‘I wish to see my team, sir.’
>‘I apologize, Grand Lieutenant.’
>‘Sir, about what happened...’
>Debriefing

>>144354
TOTAL OCEANIC SATURATION
i wish to see my team sir

>>144354
>‘I wish to see my team, sir.’

>>144354
It's the Grand Lieutenant, we can't just act dismissive.
>I apologize, Grand Lieutenant

>>144354
>'I apologize, Grand Lieutenant.’
>‘I wish to see my team, sir.’

File: TTK Understands.jpg (67 KB, 541x380)

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‘Sir, about my team,’ you say the first thing that comes to your mind, ‘I wish to see them, sir.’

The Admiral raises a hand in acknowledgment.

‘They’ll be fine, son.’

It’s less of an assurance and more of a dismissal. The Admiral turns to the Grand Lieutenant, who walks over to his side. You stiffen considerably as he does – more of an unease at who he was than what his rank indicated. This was a man who’d seen things and walked through a whole lot more than just the delegation of paperwork. The Grand Lieutenant was more than just the representative and voice of the Court of Admirals, he was respected as the man who had pioneered relations with the fairies after First Contact.

He smiles, saying nothing, but you know he’s watching you.

‘Sir, with your permission, I’d like to be dismissed so I can see my team.’ You throw spare glances at the level below as the last of the KanMusu, Murakumo, is hauled to another area by attending personnel. You meet the stern gaze of the Admiral, ‘please, sir.’

The Admiral sighs.

‘Sorry, Commander, can’t let you go this time.’

Your blood runs cold as the worst seems to confirm itself.

‘Why not, Admiral? I’m sure our meeting can wait.’ He nods in your direction, and you thank him for a bit from the bottom of your heart… but the Admiral doesn’t have any of it.

‘With due respect, Grand Lieutenant, sir, no it can’t.’ He turns back to you, and you throw a pleading look at him – the Admiral doesn’t give anything back, but addresses you in a stern tone, ‘Commander, I know you’re worried. Heaven knows I feel for you – that’s my team, too.’

Something tugs in your breath as the Admiral actually looks at you with a gaze of understanding and… an apologetic lining. You wish to protest, but find that the Admiral is definitely on your side with this. He was right: you and the Division were his responsibility, and even after knowing him for such a short while, you get that he was delaying your meeting with them – and prioritizing whatever you had now, with good reason.

You stand at attention, looking away from his gaze and give your own acknowledgment.

‘I understand, sir.’

The Admiral gives a sympathetic smile.

>’I apologize, Grand Lieutenant.’
>’Sir, about what happened...’
>Debriefing

I guess we should go straight to debriefing.

>>144448
>Debriefing
I suppose that would be the best course of action.

>>144448
>Debriefing

>>144448
>Debriefing

>>144448
>>Debriefing

faster that ends, faster we can see the girls

File: IRASHAI.jpg (107 KB, 736x776)

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‘About my report, sir.’

The Admiral raises a hand to stop you, again.

‘Not here, Commander.’

The Admiral nods to you, motioning for you to follow him. You look to the Grand Lieutenant, who moves past the Admiral. You follow obediently, the MPs moving behind you; the five of you make your way outside the makeshift dock and into the busy streets outside. The sun hurts your eyes from being in the dark for so long – it’s already sunset. You find it hard to believe that merely half a day had passed since you had been sent into the RAY Interface.

You continue to make your way down the street… into a battered-looking building that had been patched up somewhat. Outside, a brown-haired woman stood, smiling and bowing as personnel came and left – most of them were grumbling as they did so, clad in a kimono you’d normally seen on housewives. She’s a lot more mature than she looked, and had an aura of a delicate lily that had seen the years. There’s a welcoming feel to her, and her kind eyes regard all five of you as she bows. You sheepishly bow back, the familiar snickering of an MP reaching your ears as you do so.

‘Admiral!’ She declares cheerfully, raising her head to meet yours. ‘Back so soon?’

‘Is there anyone inside, Mamiya?’

‘Quite a bit, but – oh!’ The woman, Mamiya, looks to all of you, as if some realization hits her. ‘You want some privacy? Please, follow me.’

All of you, save the MPs, enter the shop. Indeed, it is bustling… with KanMusu. This must have been the place the old man had told you about. You see faces you don’t recognize… and some you do. In a corner, to your surprise, Houshou and Nagato are seated. Nagato has her serious expression as always… and Houshou is giggling at something you can’t make out.

They both don’t notice you as Mamiya brings you to a room with a broken knob, ushering all three of you in.

‘Much obliged, ma’am.’ The Grand Lieutenant smiles, bowing to Mamiya, who giggles as she leaves the three of you.

The Admiral looks at him neutrally. There’s something boiling there, but you dare not find out what.

‘Commander, debrief the Grand Lieutenant.’ It’s a command.

‘The base was moderately guarded as reported. However, mission parameters were exceeded upon entry into the base where we encountered hostiles that were disguised as friendlies on sensors. The crew was found to be put in a state I am not able to describe – they were encased in an organic material, a chrysalis, but as we lacked the information or tools to proceed we were not able to obtain a sample. The hostiles engaged my Squadron, heavily injuring two of them.’

You bite your lip as you remember the creatures attacking.

‘I take full responsibility for my failure, sir.’

The Grand Lieutenant chuckles behind a closed fist.

There it is, that nagging feeling.

> ‘You knew!’ (Roll a d6 each. Total of 15 and above wins)
> ‘Sir?’
> ‘Admiral?’

>>144578
> ‘Sir?’

>>144578
>‘Sir?’

>Admiral?

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>144578
>'You knew!'

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>144578
> ‘You knew!

>>144578
>Sir?

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>144578
>> ‘You knew!’ (Roll a d6 each. Total of 15 and above wins)

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>144602
>>144578
changing my vote to
>‘You knew!

>>144821
Beg pardon, but that vote was actually mine.

>>144633
>>144708
>>144810
>>144821
Why do you guys like to take the risky choice all the time?

>>144830
whoops you are right my bad
>>144630

>>144835
I think their under the assumption that choices with dice attached are always good choices.

>>144835
We're not in a combat situation nor dealing with unstable shipgirls, this guy isn't just going to shoot us up, and he seems like he's hiding something. We can afford to be a little pushy, if we had more intel on the operation it wouldn't have gone so badly. The Commander is on edge.

This is my reasoning for picking the risky option here.

>>144860
I'm against it because it's not very in character, it seems like he'll tell us even if we don't accuse him directly and we have taken too many risks already. We've only been here for two days.

>>144873
Maybe I should have made clear that it was a roll for perception. You're not accusing him at least, not in THIS particular choice. The roll is to see if you can pick up character intents and what they're hiding better. The better you get at these rolls, the lower the requirement will be for future rolls as you grow more perceptive/whatever.

Be back in half an hour. Groom lost his contacts list.

>>144578
>‘Sir?’

We don't seem the type to be that perceptive to begin with. That might change with time, considering what was explained in >>144901, but we weren't a top pick for our position. Everything so far paints us as a bit slow on the uptake, even if our heart is in the right place.

I just don't see us putting things together that way, especially when dealing with someone like the Grand Lieutenant.

File: Now, Now, Commander....jpg (144 KB, 416x832)

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‘You knew.’ There’s no tone behind it. You simply state it as a matter of fact. ‘You knew what was there.’

‘Perceptive one, aren’t you, Commander?’ He smiles at you – but his eyes don’t quite show it, even from behind the screen of his shades; he looks to the Admiral, who had reached for his pipe in the meanwhile. The Admiral says nothing. ‘We didn’t know know, of course, but we had to be certain.’

The flashes of the people caught in that growth come across your person again – the unreal state of the creatures you had found, how they had twisted themselves so fully to turn into the creatures. Their still bodies, caught in a strange trance between death and life, reaching out from that spidery den. You can hardly believe your ears as the Grand Lieutenant casually runs a hand through his hair, as if worried it had caught dust from the surroundings.

You see Tenryuu and Nachi on the surface of the sea, bleeding out their lives as their jaws approach.

He throws you a chuckle, as if you’d find the joke amusing.

‘But who can be certain when it comes to hypotheses these days?’

That did it. Formality ditched, you find yourself rounding on the much more powerfully-built man.

‘So, you knew… and you sent us in anyway? What did you hope to accomplish at all with the smoke and mirrors? Hope that my Squadron didn’t get mutilated getting your tech?’

‘Commander,’ he raises a visible eyebrow, resting an elbow in a palm, hand on his cheek – looking dead at you. You don’t flinch a millimeter. Your fury is kept in check by your rationality, and you’re calm on the surface – where it counted, ‘I do believe that this is your second day on the job, so let me be frank with you: where we point, you fetch.’

‘Not when you’re pointing to the edge of a cliff, sir.’

‘And yet here you are, with your tail between your legs.’

‘Commander.’ There is no humor in the Admiral’s voice; he visibly fixes you with an ice-cold gaze. ‘He is the Grand Lieutenant of the Admiralty and the Representative and Speaker for the Court of Admirals.’

You’re being pushed to apologize. At least before you say something you would regret further.

‘Forgive me, sir, the day’s events have been taxing on me.’ You let it out in a breath, braking into a formal salute. ‘I beg your leniency at my stepping out of line.’

‘Oh, that’s quite all right.’ He smiles, teeth visible as he pats you on the shoulder. You feel uncomfortable at his touch; you hope your slight buckling of discomfort, ‘This one has spirit to go with his belly, Admiral. Not bad for a reject.’

You grit your teeth behind your lips. You're angry... but at least the Admiral's here with you.

‘I would guess that you have questions, Commander?’

>’What were those things?’
>’What was the tech that you wanted back?’
>’What really happened to the compound?’
>'What about my command?'

>>145179
>’What really happened to the compound?’

>>145179
>’What were those things?’

>>145179
>>’What really happened to the compound?’

>>145179
>What really happened to the compound?

>>145179
I feel like Grand Lieutenant Wesker is going to be a problem later. Hopefully he doesn't have the same abilities as Wesker. Perhaps that was the nature of his research?

>>145179
>'What were those things?’

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'I want to know what really happened to the compound.' You cross your arms, lifting your neutral gaze to meet the Grand Lieutenant's. It’s the first thing on your mind, after all.

The Grand Lieutenant ponders for a moment, evidently thinking.

‘Official contact with Aquarius Supply Compound was lost 18 days before the Abyssal attack.’ The Grand Lieutenant puts his hands to his side, his gaze focusing on the cracked tiles on the floor – as if they are a more interesting sight. ‘We thought nothing of it then – most Supply Compounds that far out of our safe waters only establish contact on a semi-routine basis of two weeks. You know how the enemy works, after all.’

‘Interception of communique is inevitable and likely over the seas if not protected by the Fairies.’ The Admiral lights his pipe, taking in a pipe as he tiredly regards the Grand Lieutenant, who turns to him. ‘Every command post trainee and their mother knows that. It’s why conventional military ware doesn’t work on Abyssals; but we all know this when we get our paperwork done.’

‘Yes, of course, however, Aquarius was a very special case, as you’re already told, Admiral and you’ve experienced, Commander.’

The Admiral takes a long drag of his pipe, his eyes still on the Grand Lieutenant.

‘Communique with Aquarius was frequent – we held a progress report with them every week, if we could. We’re in the blind with you as to what really happened – how the whole base was affected so badly – it could have been anything from a leak to faulty wiring, but we do know that the compound was completely taken over by the time of the assault – and that the Abyssals had a failed attempt of their own to take it over.’

You feel your curiosity rise.

‘How’d you find out?’

‘We got a distress call, of course.’ He says it like it’s the most casual thing to mention.

You feel numb, unable to comprehend the nonchalance of the Grand Lieutenant.

‘They sent you a distress signal and you didn’t send anyone then?’

‘Commander.’ The Admiral warns you with a sharp interjection, and you hold your tongue again.

You breathe in and out, lifting your eyes to meet the Grand Lieutenant’s.

‘Of course we did.’ He actually looks offended by your accusation. ‘We sent an official Recon Squadron. It’d be moronic to rush in and play the hero, after all. We had to learn with what we were dealing with.’

You can’t help but feel that last part is a snipe at your expense… but you also can’t help but agree with it, as well, painful as it is to admit.

‘So why did you send a file out for collection with the data half intact?’

‘I thought the Commanders would be able to handle it.’ He looks at you with that smile. ‘Are you saying my faith is misplaced?’

You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

‘Not all, sir.’

>What were those things?
>What was the tech that you wanted back?

>>145383
>What was the tech that you wanted back?

>>145383
>What were those things?

>>145383
>What were those things?

>>145383
>What were those things?

>>145383
>What was the tech that you wanted back?
the moment we can we must have nagato twist the guy spine like a spring or somesuch

>>145383
>>What was the tech that you wanted back?

>>145423
That would end really, really badly. This guy is the top dog.

>>145442
yeah but i bet my ass that that kind of research aint 100% legal, OR gonna help the war effort

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‘What were those things we found during the mission?’

‘Excuse me?’ The Grand Lieutenant looks positively puzzled by the question.

‘My Squadron was attacked by these things.’ You recount the experience, as bad as you want to forget it. ‘They showed up on the RAY Interface as friendlies – I sent my team to retrieve them but…’ you recall the harrowing experience, the nightmarish transformation they took – their uncanny features as they twisted and turned into those beasts, ‘they turned into these things – tentacles, tongues – they were fast, too. They would have clipped Nachi and Tenryuu for something. Animal-like, too, if you want to put that on a notepad.’

‘I believe I should. This is an interesting development.’

‘Interesting?’ You cross your arms, regarding the Grand Lieutenant as he looked thoughtful.

‘That the research would come with side effects such as a mutation of KanMusu physiology – the preliminary testing of it would have never allowed the Admiralty to dare to dream of such heights. If you wouldn’t mind, Commander – I’d like a copy of your report along with any visual feed you may have had of these… creatures.’

You look at him with sheer incredulity.

‘Hold up, are you telling me you don’t have a clue of what those things were? Even after pulling off your little Dr Madcap act in a supply compound in the middle of nowhere you don’t have a clue to the – ?’

He raises a hand to you, looking at you with an expression that makes you feel a chill go up your spine.

‘There’s little to go by with the initial sample of data – but I would guess that you’d already know about it if you weren’t so blind to what was in front you, Commander.’ He laughs to himself, a small one, but one that infuriates you anyway – it’s as if he’s dismissive of your questions. As the laugh subsides, he goes on. ‘They were obviously former KanMusu.’

‘What?!’

The Admiral joins you in the exclamation this time.

‘Commander, those weren’t monsters in disguise. They were KanMusu.’ His smile is a little wider – he looks as though he’s sparing you a pitiful glance behind the sunglasses. ‘Fairy tech sensors recognize KanMusu and Abyssals based on their aura and attune it to the gear. If sensors picked them up as such… how could they be anything but?’

‘But – how – ?’

‘The tech.’ The Admiral’s fury is apparent as you turn to him. He was chewing on his pipe right now. ‘Exposure to it made them turn.’

‘There’s little to go by after your little escapade in the Compound apparently leaving it little more than a ruin under the oceans by now, but evidence does support the argument, especially with you as a witness.’

‘What in the world were you working on out there?’

His eyes flash dangerously.

‘Now… isn’t that the question, Commander?’

>’What was the tech that you wanted back?’
>’What about my command?’

>>145484
>’What was the tech that you wanted back?’

>>145484
>'What about my command?’

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>>145484
>’What was the tech that you wanted back?’
Betting it's something like this.

>>145442
OOC: He's not the top dog. He's the dog to the top. The Court of Admirals is what signs off on him.

>>145451
OOC:In a twisted way, it is intended to help with the war effort. It's almost like selling your soul to win, though. Things will be explained in the next prompt. Right now, sleep. Sorry to leave you folks hanging. I'm exhausted.

>>145505
oh yeah, like that kind of thing NEVER has gone wrong

that guy cant go "researching" this kind of shit,
to disgise our troops as abyss aint worth it if they BECOME abyssals or worse

>>145484
>’What was the tech that you wanted back?’

>>145484
>’What was the tech that you wanted back?’

>>145484
>’What was the tech that you wanted back?’
Didn't someone say that the last attack resulted in kidnapped humans and KanMusu? Maybe Abysals convert people and KanMusu to bolster their ranks?

If so, then the Admiralty might be trying to replicate Abyssal conversion tech, not so much to change KanMusu, but to change humans into more effective weapons to fight the Abyssal.

>>145179
>We didn’t know know, of course, but we had to be certain.
>>126445
>OOC: Intel isn't fucked up.

... I'd like unreliable narration staying IC and hard facts word-of-god OOC.

>>145484
>’What was the tech that you wanted back?’

Right about now, I'm thinking this Grand Lieutenant and whoever else in the Admiralty was involved are all arrogant madmen who don't know how to actually use their power.

It's like they don't know the first thing about sooper sekrit projects.

When they go badly, you either nuke/bury the project immediately, or you send along your best retrieval operatives in to do the recovery while you use cannon fodder units (aka our unit) to keep the Abyssals busy.

If we're the best retrieval unit available, you don't send us in blind.

I could deal with us being a disposable shield for an elite retrieval unit. That makes sense from a military standpoint.

But from what the GL is saying, that's clearly not what they did, and it's pretty pathetic.

>>146037
That's the thing about shifty government types. They're arrogant assholes. And they're always willing to screw-over anyone beneath them.

>>145835
I had to keep you guys off balance somehow. Write-up in 30.

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‘What was the tech that you wanted for retrieval?’ You feel a chill go down your spine – you rub the wrist of your prosthetic, feeling supremely uneasy. ‘How do you know we’d know what it’d look like in the first place?’

‘Commander, haven’t you ever played a video game?’ He smiles, finally taking off his sunglasses. ‘Just grab the shiniest thing there.’

You wish to retort, but bite your tongue.

‘Of course, you’d know it when you saw it.’ He crosses his arms. ‘It’d be hard to notice when it was probably the only thing in an active state in the compound – well, save for those two KanMusu you encountered.’ He grimaces. ‘You don’t believe me when I say we weren’t aware of how rapidly the effects of the tech took process, Commander? Well… I assure you that we did not.’

‘You sent us in blind, anyway.’

‘Commander, in my position we’re all flying with a hand on the joystick and the other in prayer. That’s the nature of commanding a war effort.’ He puts his glasses back on. ‘So believe me when I say I had the utmost faith in your abilities and was unaware of the extent of progression that the tech had taken with the crew of Aquarius.’

‘So what is it that you wanted back so badly?’ You don’t know whether you’re asking or demanding.

‘A summoning module.’ He doesn’t smile.

‘What’s so special about this one?’

‘We’re not winning this war, Commander.’ He begins, and suddenly the Grand Lieutenant looks… human. ‘The fairies help, but even with all their magic, the last big push only brought back an even greater calamity on us. You know first-hand at the losses we suffered; but even before that, we’d already lost a significant amount of our forces – and the fairies aren’t expected to keep up for long. The summoning module was a pre-emptive by us to restore our ranks… the artificial re-summoning of fallen KanMusu.’

You feel numb.

‘You were bringing back the dead.’

‘Commander, how layman of you.’ You can hear the sneer, even if he doesn’t show it. ‘You’ve see our forces – you know how much we need just to complete one summoning ritual.’ He looks to the Admiral, whose expression remains neutral. ‘PROJECT GOOD NEIGHBOR was what it worked under. However, from your experience, it would seem that it not only met in failure, but – !’

‘The fairies!’ You find yourself tongue-tied. ‘They… They helped you?’

‘Of course not. We wouldn’t have moved it to Aquarius if they were willing to assist us. We used their tech to re-create the summoning ritual on human resonance fields… the end results, well, you know how that went.’ He looks at you, as if he understands your worries, and nods ‘If we had been more thorough… we would be in a better position than we are now.’

You find yourself speechless

>'My command?’

>>147104

>Write-in: "So what now? The mission was a failure, and we're worse off than we were before Project Good Neighbor. I'm assuming you have a plan in mind since you are telling me all of this...?"

It's pretty clear that GL and the Admiralty have completely botched the secret project. I can only imagine he is telling us all of this because he is putting together a new plan with us in mind since we are now "in the know".

Pretty pointless to ask about our command at this point, it's been made clear we're not at fault in all of this, and despite everything, our girls aren't in any major danger.

Bottom line, GL wouldn't have bothered with us if we weren't going to be of some use. Time to see what his new plan (presumably) is.

>>147169
QM, can I throw my support behind this?

>>147169
>>147199
OOC: You're actually asking about Your Command because you're still a bit worried about not having a job with the Admiralty anymore. The option is a transition into the scene that you have described, but you're still essentially a lower tier officer. The Grand Lieutenant is essentially just here to "apologize for the inconvenience" or "congratulate you for a job well done" if you had eliminated the threat.

OOC: How you could have done this? Use the office entrance from above, take out the remaining Abyssals at the top - inspect the paperwork and you'll discover a communique between the Compound and the Admiralty - an SOS. You'll immediately realize something is fishy, where you would then have the option, again, to split Tenryuu and Nachi up which you should do (Or else both would get injured in this instance, instead of just one of them). You would have discovered the late arrival KanMusu first, taken her out, proceeded with caution, retrieved the tech and escaped with a complete mission. But you wouldn't have been able to take the supplies as you wouldn't find the time to haul them out of there. There's no win-win 100 percent in this Quest.

>>147235
>late arrival KanMusu first
Does this refer to the Ri or the abominations? Also, wouldn't splitting wind up with both getting smashed by the two abominations?

>Sending the dark research tech to the bottom of the ocean
I am okay with this outcome.

>>147261
OOC: The abominations. One isn't seen because it's upstairs prowling for Abyssals. The one downstairs has only recently woken up while the one closer to office entry point is already fully formed and shifted, allowing the KanMusu to not hesitate getting blind-sided and taking it out. That's why the sensors turn blue when it picks up their signal first.

OOC: It may not mean much, but he does have humanity's best interests at heart. He just doesn't give two shits about what makes people human so long as humanity's the last man standing. If we're going to go into detail, think of him as a more benevolent version The Illusive Man. He's also a bit pissed at you for not getting any data back right now - he would have been very grateful if you were able to bring back the tech. But all the same... it might indeed be better for it to not see the light of day ever again. Be back in half an hour.

>>147235
>You're actually asking about Your Command because you're still a bit worried about not having a job with the Admiralty anymore.

Um, what?

The Admiral has already said in >>144244 when we wanted to take full responsibility, "Kid, if I wanted to find someone to hang, I’d be looking for a rope." The Admiral clearly doesn't hold us responsible.

Then in >>144448, the GL makes it clear they aren't worried about us, when they even question the Admiral's insistence that we have the meeting by saying, "Why not, Admiral? I’m sure our meeting can wait." The GL isn't looking to roast us and remove our command then, which he presumably would if he held us responsible beyond being (as you say) a little miffed.

Then during the meeting, the GL effectively tells us a whole lot of top secret, CLASSIFIED things that even the Admiral had no idea about.

Let's be realistic here for a moment. If you were going to be relieved of your command, the GL would not have told you ANY of the highly sensitive things he has. You don't do that with someone you're about to fire.

As sarcastic as the GL has been, there has to be a very good reason he's telling us things even the Admiral is shocked to hear.

Frankly, your reasoning doesn't make a whole lot of sense for why we would worry at this point.

We must realize we need to hang on for the wild ride, because we passed any semblance of "We're firing you and letting you off this ride" a long time ago...

>>147440

Just to add to what I said above, it's pretty clear the whole reason the GL is telling us these things is either:

A) All of this is about to become public knowledge, which I doubt

or B) the GL is telling us this because by telling us, he essentially has made us party to what has happened with full knowledge.

He now has the means to toss us at any related (or otherwise sensitive) missions because we are effectively now part of the whole research project just by knowledge of its existence and our hand at torpedoing it (literally).

If anything, I'd expect any anger he had at us is mollified by the fact he now has a unit he can send on any number of classified missions when he has need of it.

The sort of knowledge we now have is dangerous, so we're involved no matter what.

>>147440
You're not BEING reasonable. You've just reached land, and you don't know if you're going to be hauled away from your current division after the disaster case that just occurred. You know that the Admiral's not going after you, but you're not sure what the Grand Lieutenant has planned. The MC is essentially in the "First Team, Reserve Team, Transfer" mentality of a footballer.

He isn't quite sure at what you're going to be up against with the red tape, and while he is secure in the ADMIRAL'S words, with the GRAND LIEUTENANT, there isn't much to go on for him because he hasn't received any concrete assurance. Think of it like when your Department Manager gives you the thumbs up, then you receive a veto from the Regional Manager and find yourself transferred due to good or bad performance.

You respect the Admiral loads, but you're not quite sure what to expect with the Admiralty and their hound. This is drawing from a little experience my friend had - he had to transfer all the way up north even though his boss said it wouldn't happen because the company heads thought he would do a better job there. I'm applying the same sort of mentality from regional management to paramilitary bureaucracy.

You're not quite sure of the Admiral's autonomy and his weight class, and this next scene is to affirm it. Please be patient.

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‘So, what now?’

‘You’re not being dismissed, if that’s what you’re worried about.’ He smiles at you, again – that damned smile. ‘We’re letting this slide under, of course – you were in over your head before you even hit the water.’ He says so as if it’s a casual observation, ‘Your rank and Division will remain as it is, that is, if you agree with certain terms.’

‘And they are?’

‘The matter of your discretion on this matter, of course.’

‘You want me to keep quiet.’

‘Observant, but crude; I want the data and the log – all recordings, a complete report of the encounter with the mutates. Your destruction of the compound has us relying on the little data we have coming from you. I had hoped that you would have been successful, but as this isn’t the case, we’ll take what we can.’ He indicates the Admiral. ‘Your Admiral will liaise with the Admiralty in regards to the compilation of data.’

‘My Squadron, then?’ You refer to your two injured KanMusu in particular and the grinder they went through.

‘You tell them that you simply walked in blind; that the encounter will be taken under observation by the higher-ups. It’s better than a lie.’

‘And if I don't?’

‘Then the Admiral will have to answer why he trusted the information with such an indiscreet and inexperienced Commander who was rightfully rejected from the applications in the first place.’

You’re flabbergasted. You turn to the Admiral, who doesn’t spare you a glance. He’s busy with his pipe.

‘I chose - !’

‘Under his trust.’ He smiles ‘A man of his rank should really know better.’

‘That’d never – ! Fine. I’ll play your game.’

‘Commander, I’m hurt.’ He says with an oily quality, looking at you like an offended friend, ‘We’re all tools and cogs here; I’m just telling you to turn in the right direction.’

He moves for the door, looking like the cat that caught the canary.

‘I expect all the data on my desk within the week.’ He says, before turning back to both you and the Admiral with a thoughtful look. ‘Oh, and I’ve arranged for some things to be sent your way – to help bring the place back to working order.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

The Admiral moves to open the door for him. You regain the feeling in your feet as he leaves, out the door, and… toppling like an oak onto the cracked floor. The din rises outside as you rush out from behind the Admiral, to see a pair of broken sunglasses, and the malicious glare of the now-grounded Grand Lieutenant.

‘Tell the Court that if they pull this shit with my men, on my grounds, ever again… that it’s going to take more than a barricade of red tape to keep me from fastening a pair of cement slippers to their feet and yours.’

He says nothing… and pushes his way past the gathering crowd.

The Admiral turns to you, his eyes apologetic.

>'Wow.'
>'Damn.'
>'Thanks.'

>>147552
>'Thanks.'

>>147552
>'thanks'
Hell yeah mother fucker, thats what im talking about

>>147552
>'Thanks.'

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‘Th – Thanks, sir.’ You don’t know what you’re quite thankful for, but that right hook was definitely something that deserved reverence, at least.

‘Don’t worry about it.’ The Admiral says gruffly, cracking his knuckles as he regards the assemblage of KanMusu and personnel, who look between the door where the Grand Lieutenant had made his unceremonious exit and to the Admiral, very much confused. ‘I was thinking where the softest spot on his face was for the last couple of hours.’ He takes a puff of his pipe, making some of the patrons move away from him in disgust. ‘Then I realized that those sunglasses cost more than a bandage and some cream.’

You chuckle heartily. You needed that. You regard the Admiral for a bit and he looks at you with a stoic demeanor; you can tell that it’s a front, though – you see a quick upturn of his lips hide away behind it. If there had been any doubt from your end on the Admiral… it was gone now. You were in good hands.

He looks thoughtful for a moment, and goes fishing in his clothes for something.

‘Oh, and Akashi wanted me to give you these.’ He takes out something from the pockets of his pants; they’re a new pack of pills, to your surprise. The Admiral looks at you seriously, ‘Don’t skip out on ‘em. You’ll go crazy.’

You chuckle again, taking the bottle and putting it into one of your pouches.

‘I’ll remember that.’

‘I’ll remind him.’

The both of you turn on your heel to see the Houshou and Nagato, their gazes more steely than you remembered from this morning. You move to say something, but their attentions turn immediately to the Admiral, who they both offer a salute to. The Admiral returns it, nodding to them in acknowledgment and back to you.

‘If you’re worried about your team, Commander, they’ll be in the MASH. I don’t know the full extent of their damage, but I assure you that whatever it is, Akashi and the fairies will have them right as rain soon enough.’ He pats you on the shoulder. ‘You did okay, kid. Just wasn’t in the stars; you’ll be off-duty for – !’

A sudden panic comes over you.

‘Am I being pun – !’

‘Kid, I swear, I will take out that rope.'

‘Sir,’ Houshou coughs into a fist, getting your attention, ‘Commanders and Divisions rotate active states on the discretion of the Admiral and psyche evaluation. It’s to prevent fatigue from setting into a Division’s make-up. You’re not being suspended, sir.’ Houshou offers a smile of her own. ‘But you are off the call-up roster unless an emergency arises.’

‘You’re still pulling district duty, though. First thing tomorrow.’ The Admiral waves to you, leaving abruptly, before turning at the door, yelling. ‘And don’t you skip it, kid!’

Nagato and Houshou’s steely gazes return.

‘So, Commander, are you going to follow the Grand Lieutenant’s advice or not?’

Uh-oh.

>Write-In.

OOC: Here you go, folks. The first write-in!

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>>147618
Not doing a write-in but
>filename
What, you don't want dank rapist memes?

>>147618
Maybe gather the girls in the barracks and tell them in secret?

I don't know if we should tell them yet, but we need to make sure the girls are fine and we need to make good on our promised party.

>>147618
>Write-In. - Check in on the team, then take your meds and get some rest.

I doubt we'll be able to do much more, we've got district duty early, and we're still adjusting to being part fairy robot.

...and since the GT said it was left to our discretion, and preferred us to avoid having to lie, I see no reason why we can't tell our team about what went down once they are healed up. We do have to be circumspect, however, so the need for privacy and such is paramount.

>>147618
Tell Nagato and Houshou to have the kanmusu in your team come to the same room you briefed them in the morning in a couple hours. In the meantime, go visit Nachi, Tenryuu, Shigure and Murakumo and check their condition. Tell them everything in advance if they ask, since we don't know when they'll be fully recovered.

>>147618
>>147673
You are right, but at some point they kinda deserve to know

>>147618
>‘So, Commander, are you going to follow the Grand Lieutenant’s advice or not?’

You know, it occurs to me, just how much were Nagato and Houshou eavesdropping on everything that went on? We could give them a little playful grief for that before deciding what to say.

I can only assume they must have heard a lot, since they are asking about the GL's advice.

Anyhow. Did we settle on anything? Seems we have a vague agreement to check the girls and tell them something, but nobody seems to be settling behind an actual write-in or coming up with one we support.

I had figured on us just checking the team, then getting some rest, but

>>147696
I'm supporting this.

>>147683
>Check in on the team, then take your meds and get some rest.
I agree with this. The last time we overexerted ourselves things didn't end up pretty.

>>147683
>Check in on the team, then take your meds and get some rest.
This

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You rub the wrist of your prosthetic, uncomfortable; their eyes are still trained on you. Even as the other patrons of the place make their way back to the tables, they stay still, one with their arms crossed, the other with her hands folded, expecting an answer. At the back of your head, you curse your luck.

You bring a hand to your temples. Five minutes into making a deal with the devil and you were about to violate it. This was perfect, of course, for you.

‘Walk with me.’

You find that it’s all you can do right now. They follow you out of the place and into the street outside, which was starting to look a lot less busy. It was the late evening right now – sun’s setting and the personnel are getting ready to change shifts. You’re not tired, strangely, even after all that – all this – there’s a calm washing over you with the encroaching cold night.

When you’re confident you’re out of anyone else’s earshot – at the edge of a road leading towards another district, you lean against a ruin and regard the two KanMusu, finally finding your bearings.

‘So which part do you want to talk about?’

You wish you were a smoker. Then it’d be a bit cooler right now.

‘None of it, actually.’

You look at the both of them, surprised.

‘Commander,’ Houshou begins, looking at you with a smidgen of… pride? ‘we don’t wish to discuss the details with you, we know how deep you’ve stepped into it… but us… we KanMusu, knowing what we do… if it ever came to it, would you trust us with them?’

‘You’re my Division.’

‘That doesn’t answer my question, sir, if I may be so bold.’ Houshou bows to you as she interjects. You feel compelled to bow yourself. ‘If the both of us had not heard you, would you have consulted us on the matter?’

You feel a knife pick at your brain as the words leave your mouth.

‘No,’ you answer truthfully. You couldn’t lie to this woman. No matter what. ‘I gave my word, but more than my consideration for the Court of Admirals, to the Grand Lieutenant…’ you find some strength to go on, ‘is my duty to a man who’s actually had the gall, and the good faith to bet his chips on my hand.’ You look at the both of them steadily. ‘Not if it’d throw him to the wolves, not one iota. I can live a dagger in my back if that’s what the price is.

‘Not if it costs one sliver of that man’s integrity.’

Nagato and Houshou regard you neutrally.

Then the both of them look away, red as beet.

‘Dammit, Commander, you’d be so much cooler if you’d just lost some weight.’

‘I know, right? He’s spouting like he’s out of a drama but then that belly! That terrible hair!’ Houshou shrills into closed hands, ‘You spout the lines but one look at that and it all crashes!’

You feel a tick rising as they giggle.

>'I'm off to the MASH'
>'Where's the staff kitchen?'
>'What were you two doing there?'

>>148825
>'I'm off to the MASH'

>>148825
>'I'm off to the MASH'

>>148825
>'I'm off to the MASH'

Also, we need to remember to make that casserole when our squad gets out of the MASH.

>>148825
>'I'm off to the MASH'
Neat

>>148878
Yeah, we aren't being sent on missions for a while so it's a good chance to mingle with the ships, get Kaga to stop thinking of us as a faggot and all that. Also to get some exercise so everyone stops laughing at the commander.

>>148878
>>148905
If it's not apparent, that's what the staff kitchen option is there for. With Houshou around., maybe you can find out how to tick the KanMusu's tastebuds

>>148912
I got it, it's just that I think visiting the team is more important right now. Not like they'd make it for the casserole on the same day they got heavily injured, would they?

>>148837
>>148857
>>148870
>>148892
Before I go on, I hope I didn't upset any of you with taking the middle option when it came to the write-ins.

>>148924
We were all going in more or less the same direction so it's fine.

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Deciding you’ve had enough of the laughing, you decide to haul yourself to the MASH before the day ended. You have a need to see the crew – if to just see them alive – and you feel that if you don’t have this done, you’d go to bed with more worry that you believed you could handle. You cough to get the attention of the two giggling excuses of KanMusu, getting their attention and shutting them up right away.

‘I’m going to the MASH.’ You say, walking past them. ‘You’re welcome to join me to see them.’

‘The mission,’ Houshou suddenly realizes the severity of the situation, ‘it – are they all right?’

‘They were breathing when I docked,’ You say simply, but Houshou’s worried expression makes you elaborate a bit more, ‘but Tenryuu and Nachi are hurt something bad. It would’ve turned out worse if we…’

You trail off, suddenly finding the burden of guilt coming upon your person. The incident replays a hundred times in your head as you rack your mind for a way that it could have gone better – if you had paid more attention, if you had been more careful or not so aggressive with your commands, if you had not been so emotional – but it all falls on the dullness of the now. You shake your head of the thoughts – what was done, good and bad, was on you, and nothing would change that.

‘Sir,’ Nagato breaks you of your reverie – she and Houshou are right in front of you, motioning for you to follow them. They would accompany you to the MASH, it would seem, ‘come on; it’ll be a bit of a walk.’

The three of you keep the silence all the way to the MASH; or rather, you do, Houshou and Nagato are admittedly a lot more chatty than you had initially thought them to be, occasionally breaking into topics that you find you can’t follow. You do catch that the both of them had a history of being assigned to the same command before, however, and that they both had a shared mission history prior to Houshou’s first retirement.

You muse that it’s nice to have a friend like that.

After some time walking, you come along to a familiar compound, where MPs and personnel, along with the occasional floating fairy, kept busy. The personnel and MPs give you strange looks as you walk past them, coming to a large gray tent where Akashi, who had attended to you before, sits on a stool, looking solemn and forelorn.

She raises her head to look at you, her eyes more dull than you can remember.

‘Commander,’ her voice trembles, ‘Tenryuu, she…’

You rush inside. You see Nachi’s bed; she was asleep, an IV drip of fata aqueous connecting her to the device. Shigure and Murakumo are set on a bed, their position across from an occupied bed whose occupant’s jacket, torn and bloody, was perched on a chair.

The cloth was draped over her whole body.

Akashi puts her hand on your shoulder.

‘She just ran out of beats...’

>‘What happened?’
>‘I did this...’
>‘She was alive...’

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>>149289
>‘I did this...’

>>149289
>>‘She was alive...’
well shit, i thought we did good on our first mission, the hell we do wrong?

>>149289
>‘I did this...’

>>149289
>can we extract some of the Kantai contaminant from their wounds?

>>149289
>‘She was alive...’

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>>149289
>‘She was alive...’

Now that's a mood whiplash, you caught me off guard.

Am I glad we didn't go for the casserole.

>>149289
>‘I did this...’
Time to drink to dead

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>>149289

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>>149289
This is honestly the most depressing thing I've ever felt in a Kancolle quest. Fucking up our meds, terrible first impressions with our subordinates, failing the objective of the mission, and losing somebody on the second day of the job...it's just one disaster after another.

Don't you dare bring her back to life QM don't back out like some kinda pussy

>>149376
It's just a prank bro!

>>149386
I really want this to be the case.

But I'm not getting my hopes up.

>>149376
I'm sure the Grand Lieutenant will take care of it for him

>>149376
to be fair i thought we did good, and surprised we lost someone so soon.

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>>149386
If it is, I want to sock Tenryuu in the face. Or just say no casseroles.

>>149393
>Abomination Tenryuu
Well that's some nightmarish shit

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>>149376
>Don't you dare bring her back to life
About that....

>>149397
We kinda missed our drugs, got kicked, got thrown into the mission with a makeshift team we had just assembled, got two of them full of holes, torpedoed the complex and didn't retrieve what we were looking for.

I'd say it's been going terribly for us.

>>149417
We restored the barracks then went to Kamino and thwarted the Republic's effort to get their clone army. Just not a single fucker ever says thanks.

>>149289
>I quit

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>>149417
>Tenryuu as Jill Valentine
Now that is some weapons-grade bullshit

>>149434
Less clone army, more stopping Weyland-Yutani getting xenomorphs

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>>149417
Why are we here?
Just to suffer?

>>149443
We will become Punished Commander by the end of this quest. I can already see it.

>"You're all diamonds now..."

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>>149289
>‘I did this...’

>>149289
>Admiral lied
>Tenryuu died

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You quietly walk towards the bed – it’s still, unmoving. Your hand rests on the cloth of the bloody jacket. You lift it from the chair and take a seat, disbelieving. You hold the jacket in your hands, bringing it close to you as your eyes never leave the bed. The material is comfortable, a luxury item, to be sure. This was her jacket. Now as ruined as…

‘Commander.’ It

‘Leave me alone, Nagato.’

‘Commander, I – !’

You throw a glare at her. The both of you lock eyes for a moment- she throws one right back at you, and Nagato, in an uncharacteristic moment, raises her hands, turning away from you.

‘Fine.’

She says it with her back turned to you; you want to yell at her, yell at something but find that you don’t have the energy to do so. You’re drained. Your eyes are a lot more dry than you had thought they were – she walks away from you, throwing one last glance like she was promising regret as she makes her way back to Houshou, who looks between you, the covered bed and Nagato, before turning away with a nod.

Akashi puts a hand on your shoulder.

‘Are you all right, Commander?’

‘No.’

There’s silence for a moment, and you just look to the white sheets and the instruments by the bedside. They’re quiet, too. Murakumo and Shigure, her arm covered in patches, regard you with worried eyes. Again, you open your mouth to say something, and again… words fail. Inside you, a numbness spreads. Your prosthetic covers your eyes, and you wonder just where you went wrong.

‘Everywhere.’

‘Commander,’ Akashi puts a hand on your prosthetic, raising your chin to look into her eyes, ‘Tenryuu was really fond of you. She wouldn’t want you to be like this. Come on.’

‘Akashi…’

Somehow, Akashi’s strength is enough to raise you to your feet… guiding you towards the bed.

‘You know, she was really excited when I told her that someone on the base was actually compatible with KanMusu treatment… enough that we could give a prosthetic arm.’ Akashi smiles at you; the both of you are at the side of the bed. ‘To think you’d be her Commander...’

The grip on your shoulder is stronger now, almost painful. Akashi’s eyes don’t leave the covered corpse, her lips trembling.

‘The two of you were close?’

‘Yeah,’ Akashi shows a genuine smile to you. That grip’s a little too strong now.

‘We’re the Prank Queens of Yokosuka, after all.’

You don’t see it coming.

You only see white. You’re caught in a tangle of cloth as two laughing figures pin you into the bed where a now-breathing and cackling corpse pins you with her partner in crime. Your nose twitches as the smell of rotten eggs hit your nose and you fight back a hurl.

This goes on for about a minute. And you’re out, gasping for air as a healthy Tenryuu, standing on the bed in her underwear, cackles along with Akashi.

>Hug her
>Hurt her
>Punish her

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>>149507
>Hurt her
>Hug her

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>>149507
>Hug her
WHY

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>>149507
>Hug her
I'm okay with this.

I knew something wasn't right here, but really

>Hug her
>Cry

>>149507
>Hug her
>Try not to cry, cry anyway

JUST A PRANK!

>>149507
>Laugh a lot
>Start crying in the middle of it

As expected of Tenryuu

I am obviously happy about this and think we still need to have that promised food, but while we aren't going on missions, we need to train. Too many things went way too wrong. We may train Tenryuu a little harder.

>>149507
>Hug her
>Punish her

>>149507
>Laugh, play it up, you guys sure got me good! Then put them all on latrine cleaning duty or the nearest equivalent for a week. Tenryuu for three weeks.

Now go make a motherfucking casserole, and serve it to them in a toilet bowl (sterilized).

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‘Come on, Commander, admit – !’

Tenryuu herself lies still as your grip around her lithe form, clad in underwear, falls on her knees with you, onto the bed. Your prosthetic and your left arm hold her close and for some reason you don’t feel a need to let go, such is the relief. You hold her tight (Which is actually quite hard – Tenryuu was a lot bustier than most women), tears falling from the corner of your eyes as Tenryuu slowly returns the hug.

You look into her eye, and beaten and bruised as she is, she resembles something close to a flustered puppy from this range. There’s a stench akin to motor oil coming from her, but you don’t really care. Tenryuu’s grin is bright, playful and just plain naughty; neither of you seem to relinquish your hold on the other, but both of you lean back. Tenryuu shoots another mischievous waggle of her eyebrow at you.

‘You gonna confess you’re in love with me or what?’

‘I want to punch you so bad.’

Tenryuu chuckles and pats you on the head.

A heavy sigh comes from your side and you quickly move away from each other. Nagato stands there, rubbing her temples.

‘I was trying to tell you.’ Nagato interrupts your moment, an annoyed glance sparing to both you and the underwear-clad KanMusu in your arms. ‘What did she do?’

‘I pulled an oven on this guy here.’ She gives you a light on the back of the head again – you feel another tick coming along as she does.

‘Mature,’ Nagato says flatly, looking from you to Akashi and back to Tenryuu, ‘very mature, Tenryuu.’

‘Oh, come on, I can – !’

Tenryuu doubles over and you roll your eyes as she clutches the covered wound on her chest. Fool you once, shame on her, fool you twice… except she falls from the bed and onto the grass, struggling with…

Breathing.

‘Akashi!’

You’re right by her side - along with Houshou and Nagato, holding her up as Akashi brings another syringe and what looked like a green bucket. The armor you associate with her is, once again, clad. Akashi tells you to hold her still and jabs the needle right through the wound covers and right into her chest. Tenryuu vomits a black substance out onto the ground… and starts breathing normally, resting her head as the both of you lay on the ground.

She smiles weakly at you.

'That enough for payback?'

You look to Akashi, who continues with her work.

‘Tenryuu and Nachi are a little unstable from their wounds. They’re healing up fast, but there’s a weird sort of infection they’ve seemed to pick up from it.’ Akashi is in business mode now, patting Tenryuu’s chest as she rubs across it with liquid from the bucket. ‘It doesn’t like Fairy’s Tears, so I’m just putting some concentrate on her.’

‘Infection?’

‘It’s regressing right now.’ She assures you. ‘Diagnosis says that the Tears are helping loads.’

>Ask about Nachi
>Mention the Grand Lieutenant’s proposition
>Ask Shigure on her condition

>>149758
>Ask about Nachi
Then
>Ask Shigure on her condition

>>149758
>Ask about Nachi

>>149758
>Ask Shigure on her condition

>>149758
>Ask Akashi to secure some of the black substance for analysis.
>Ask about Nachi.

>>149758
seconding >>149780

>>149758
Again
>tell Akashi what the thing you were supposed to recover does.
>"can we extract some of the Kantai contaminant from their wounds?"

>>149758
>>149810
This might be a good idea

>>149810
>tell Akashi what the thing you were supposed to recover does, and that you were instructed to get fairy help ASAP in case of exposure. She could be turning zombie.

>>149796
>>149810
There is no contaminant. That thing they puked is a side-effect of KanMusu being healed. Think of it like when Geralt takes his potions - except this is when KanMusu take a PARTICULARLY strong dose of Fairy's Tears. It's an "out with the bad in with the good" kind of thing. You should be asking about the infection, though. But that'll come later.

>>149850
I'll change >>149796
to just asking about Nachi, then. I hope we'll have a chance to ask about the infection after we've checked on the kanmusu.

>>149850
Alright then

>>149758
>Ask about Nachi

Deal with the injured first, that's what we came for. Obviously, check on Shigure and Murakumo as well.

Maybe even praise Shigure and Murakumo for their fast action, but Nachi takes priority at this point.

I think Akashi and Tenryu are going to feel guilty about their prank once they catch wind of what Nagato and Houshou already know - that we're fresh off eating a shit sandwich fed to us by the GL due to the mission failure to retrieve secret screwup project data.

Maybe we can become a functional alcoholic or pick up a smoking habit if this keeps up...

>>150068
>Chain-smoking, alcoholic commander

Seconding this so hard.

>smoking habit
More health problems. That's just what he needs.

>>150277
It's only really noticeable after the first few years. I fully expect our commander to go out in a blaze of glory before then.

Though if he smoked cigars, his lungs would be in much better shape than if he smoked cigarettes.

>>150277
>More health problems. That's just what he needs.

Maybe, but history has shown that in the military, tobacco, alcohol, and substance use is rather high, regardless of the cost to health. In fact, it skyrockets during wartime.

Just from a quick google search, as well as poking around Wikipedia and various government postings, here's a few sobering numbers regarding the US military:

- In 2005, the smoking rate in the US military was 32.2%, compared to 21% by civvies. US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan smoked double of what civvies do.

- Somewhat directly related to us, it was reported that during the First Gulf War, smoking rose amongst US Naval personnel. Various publications have confirmed that smoking use and relapse are very strongly tied to deployment and combat. One battalion in Iraq had a 52% smoking rate.

- In 2008, 47% of active service members reported binge drinking.

- In 2008, 11% of service members reported misusing prescription drugs, which were commonly opioid painkillers.

If the girls want us to stay clear of any of it, they had better work really hard on trying to ease the burden. We aren't going to manage it by ourselves given the current situation, as (I hope) Nagato and Houshou are realizing.

Otherwise, I expect our commander, who is already on mind-altering drugs, to need something to help decompress beyond sleep and food.

Even if doing so results in a bad habit or two.

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You spare a glance to Nachi, who is sound asleep. Tenryuu gets herself up pretty well done, wiping the stains off her things; Nagato and Houshou, now with relief sweeping over them, look sternly at the prankster, who guiltily gets back in bed. You couldn’t tell that she’d been out of breath and vomiting oil all over the ground before, as fired up as she looks.

‘Akashi, how’s Nachi doing?’

Akashi bites her lip, tucking a protesting Tenryuu in.

‘She’s more stable than Tenryuu, which isn’t saying much.’ Akashi sighs, glaring at her friend to get her to comply. Tenryuu grumbles, but does as she’s told. ‘KanMusu body temperature is a little bit higher than human temperature, and we don’t have any ultra-concentrated fata aqueous to convert into a more effective recovery mode – for your Division or anyone else, so we’re just applying as we go along.

‘Nachi’s a combat veteran and her systems are a lot more resilient than some of the KanMusu that come in here for recovery. However, she is still in a vulnerable state. The fairies have the both of them on watch – the Admiral gave us a heads up on the extent of their injuries, so we pulled some of the more healing-inclined fairies on double duty.’

You look over to Nachi again – a tell-tale blue glow showed that a fairy was indeed tending to Nachi. You want to walk over to check on it yourself, but decide that they’re too busy for you to risk interruption. Nachi’s form shifts slightly in the covers as the fairy is joined by two of her friends.

‘The Admiral told you?’

‘Well,’ Akashi runs a hand through her hair tiredly, ‘he told us that the girls needed more than a dose of fata aqueous; that they needed direct attention from the fairies. I didn’t question him back then, but it seems like whatever would have happened could have been a lot of worse if I’d just stuck ‘em in rec like I do with most returnees.’

‘But she is, stable, right? Nachi?’

‘Oh, definitely. She stabilized faster than Tenryuu here.’ Akashi says so with some cheer in her voice. ‘Best patient I ever had that didn’t need a robot arm.’

You flex yours in good nature, sharing a laugh with her.

‘Commander.’

Nagato nods her head to get on with it; she’s a lot more pushy today.

‘Admiral elaborate on anything to you?’

‘No, he just got me on the emergency line.’ She says, confused. ‘Told me to have some of the fairies on hand to heal the girls up… but there was one strange thing when Nachi and Tenryuu came in.’

‘What?’

‘The fairies got… really angry.’ Akashi frowns, picking up a clipboard. ‘And really, really confused, at first, but... I couldn't make out at what.’

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t speak fairy.’

You put your hands in your pockets.

>Speak with Shigure
>‘On that infection...’
>Debrief the Squadron (Formerly mention Grand Lieutenant)

>>152142
>Speak with Shigure

Does the debriefing option mean waking up Nachi?

>>152142
>Speak with Shigure

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>>151990
>>150324
>>150277
>>150094
>>150068

OOC: All these people trying to make Fat Cooking-loving Robot-Arm Commander into Punished Snake - A Fallen Legend

>>152142
>Speak with Shigure

>>152142
>‘On that infection...’

Not as much a vote for it, but wanting to know exactly what choosing this option is intended as.

Does it mean we are going to tell Akashi something vital and/or classified, in regards to what happened?

Or does it mean we are going to question her at length about the infection, and what she might be thinking about it?

I'm also concerned about the fairies reaction. I'm reasonably certain they might be suspecting something, perhaps linked to the secret project that the Admiralty knew the fairies would not help with.

>>152142
>‘On that infection...’

>>152142
>>Speak with Shigure

>Ask her what she likes because she really saved the day.

>>152231
OOC: You're asking about the infection. You're not aware of it and you want to confirm things. As far as story goes, the fairies don't know what it is that is infecting the KanMusus, but... they know it's a crude recreation of their magic - they're just not sure who the fuck would be able to do it.

>>152190

Not being sarcastic here, but considering the crapsack world we're in, where Kanmusu are dying, the Admiralty has resorted to secret projects that might alienate our fairy allies, and our current Kanmusu are in various states of broken or emotionally damaged soldiers?

Becoming "Punished Snake - A Fallen Commander" might well be par for the course... well, unless the Kanmusu decide they're not going to let it happen.

>>152270

Ok, got it. Please consider my original post (>>152231) as an official vote, then.

>>152142
>‘On that infection...’

>>152308
Something else worth mentioning. If the fairies were do abandon humanity, who would the KanMusu side with? Would they divide between pro-human and pro-fairy camps? Would there be a civil war?

>>152341
>captain nagato civil war

>>152341
If the fairies abandon humanity, humanity is fucked anyway. The KanMusu will probably have their own thoughts on the matter, but they'll lose the one thing keeping them in the fight. That's one of the reasons that the Grand Lieutenant was so secretive about the project - and why he's so adamant that it stays that way. He thinks the Fairies ARE helping, but that it's not going to be enough - they lose KanMusu almost every campaign and their numbers don't grow back unless a summoning module - which is VERY, VERY iffy in the first place, summons another KanMusu.

He wants his cake and eat it, too. He's a realist, but he's a dick of a realist.

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>>152352
>Bucky

>>152341

If I could think of a way to tell the fairies what we know without it turning into a gigantic mess, I'd be all for it.

Actually, the fairy that was with us during the mission must have seen and suspect something, since they watched everything unfold. Um, fairy person? Nudge nudge, wink wink, please tell them not to hate us because we aren't all assholes? Please?

I mean, it's not like the GL said we had to lie, and he certainly didn't mention the fairy that was with us, if I remember correctly.

>>152378
Just to make sure I got the plot straight, kanmusu get summoned only once and if they die, that's it. GL wants to use dark tech to try and bring them back to life/summon more kanmusu. This is a big no-no among the fairies, who sense all kinds of wrong shit with the tech and infection.

The statement about the summoning module made me wonder if fairies also had them, or whether summoning modules are what GL wanted to create.

>>152471
You hit the nail on the head, buddy. He took the fairy magic that the CoA was entrusted with and wanted to turn it into an artificial summoning machine to bring back the KanMusu only he doesn't understand you need a spiritual grounding point - an empathetic source like the fairies themselves to make sure it's successful. If I put it in layman's terms, he wants to replace skilled worker with a machine, but that machine just goes on. Let's say that if there's a bottle a little out of alignment, the worker can adjust it. The machine misses putting the bottlecap on the bottle completely.

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‘Shigure.’

Murakumo and Shigure, closer than you thought they’d be, sit side by side on the bed opposite Tenryuu. She’s much smaller than you, so you try your best not to loom over her. She looks completely different from that killing machine on the seas – if you weren’t her Commander, you’d think that she was just a girl coming back from a sporty afternoon.

She’s not banged up like Nachi and Tenryuu, but she still has a few bandages on her person… and clad in a military surplus T-shirt from the ages past that actually was much too big for her – and the wrong gender.

‘Thank you.’ You sigh, before going into lecture mode – you are still her Commander after all. ‘None of them would have been able to make it out alive if it wasn’t for you. So… thanks. You saved my ass, the ass of everyone else here and then some. You did good, soldier.’

‘I do my best work solo, Commander!’ She says cheerfully.

Now came the hard part.

‘However, I still have to address that you went off-map, against my orders and endangered your Squadron in the first place by engaging without support, my permission or an adequate weapon module for an against-the-odds firefight.’

Shigure looks away from you.

‘Shigure, I need an explanation for your behavior on the field.’ You say, a little reluctant as she did save your asses, but you needed to assert the point – especially since you have a concern on if the rogue behavior of the KanMusu would get her or her team… killed. ‘I can’t in good faith send you out there if you’re going to go off the grid again.’

‘I know…’

‘So why don’t you tell – !’

‘Don’t you trust me, sir?’ She looks up to you with pleading eyes, and you see her hands gripping the bed sheets. Murakumo is next to her, and even with her penchant of interjection, says nothing, ‘Sir?’

‘Shigure…’ the day’s events go through your mind again. It doesn’t seem like she’s trying to re-direct the question, but there’s something about it that raises alarms. Hoping you can steer yourself in the right direction, you go for the jugular, ‘Why do you think you do your best work solo?’

Shigure looks stunned. Absolutely stunned.

‘Shigu – !’

She raises herself to her feet and bumps right at you with her shoulder. You grit your teeth in a little bit of pain and find Shigure with her back turned, walking to the exit. Behind you, Akashi calls out to her, but before long, the black-haired KanMusu is gone… but not before throwing a look of unrestrained anger as the flaps close.

‘Commander, what did you do?’

Akashi huffs at you, and you yourself wonder just why she’d – !

‘That girl...’ Murakumo sighs, looking sadly to a pillow on the bed.

>Pry Murakumo (Roll a d6 each, a total of 20 and above is successful)
>‘On that infection...’
>Debrief the Squadron

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>152522
>Pry Murakumo

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>152522
>Pry Murakumo

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>152522
>Pry Murakumo

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>152522
>Pry murakumo

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>152522
>Pry Murakumo (Roll a d6 each, a total of 20 and above is successful)

>>152672
Just what we needed

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>>152672

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>152522
>Pry murakumo

>>151990
Stress is a hell of a thing.

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You take the space besides Murakumo, twiddles her thumbs in place. She doesn’t say a word and neither do you, but your intent is made clear. Before you, Akashi throws a look of frustration before tending to Tenryuu, who still protests being treated like such. You can sense Murakumo’s anxiety at your silence, and thinking that it’s just about time to ask her proper, get to the point. You had needed some time to gather your wits for this.

‘Murakumo, what’s up with Shigure?’

‘Oh, she’s – !’

‘I mean, why are all of you so reluctant to be around her?’

Murakumo struggles with something, but then gets her groove back, adopting a haughty stance that would not be out of place in a cartoon.

‘I mean, you heard her, right? She’s not a team player,’ She says simply, in a manner that reminds you of a poor stage act. You’ll have none of it, ‘like, she’s pretty badass, but you don’t really want to be next to her ‘cuz – !’

‘Why don’t you want to be next to her?’

Murakumo freezes. Then picks up as if nothing happened.

‘If you’d let me finish, she’s pretty unpredictable, Commander, so – !’

‘Unpredictable how?’ Again, you cut her off.

Murakumo looks as though she’s between hysterics and a dart for the bushes, but she’s a fighter, as her file had said. She raises herself to her feet and gets right in your face, pushing and pushing as though she was rabid.

‘You saw her out there; she saved our lives, sure, but – !’

You don’t let her get momentum.

‘But what, Murakumo?’

Murakumo freezes, and all eyes that are awake in the tent go on you. Murakumo looks terrified as she catches the words on her lips. She rubs her forearm nervously and realize that this wasn’t the girl on the file; this was a girl protecting a friend.

‘Commander,’ she begins, putting her hands on your knees, leaning forward, ‘Shigure is my squaddie.’ She goes on, determined, ‘I have her back,’ she bites her lip, a little hesitant, ‘and even if she doesn’t have mine… I do, and it’s times like this that I think that… even with you, I can’t. I’m sorry, sir, but if I tell you, if any one of us tells you…’

She looks at you with a fire you find too familiar.

‘It’d betray her trust for me to tell you, and for you to hear it from anyone but her.’

Sonovagun.

‘So you’re saying that you’d rather break regs by leaving a conflict unresolved and unreported than break… the trust that you say Shigure has in you as a fellow Division squaddie,’ you raise an eyebrow, fighting down a smile, ‘that is if she has any.’

Murakumo grumbles something, averting her eyes.

'That's pretty damn cool.'

She looks back at you, her eyes lightning up; she breathes a sigh of relief, adding, ‘But, sir… please go easy on her when you talk with her again. She means well, really.’

You take it to heart.

>’On that infection...’
>Debrief the Squadron

>>153082
>>’On that infection...’

>>153082
>’On that infection...’

>>153082
>’On that infection...’

>>153082
>’On that infection...’

File: Too Lazy So I Just Grabbe(...).jpg (130 KB, 547x497)

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‘You mentioned an infection?’

Akashi goes through her clipboard in a moment of deja vu, scanning through the sheets of paper and ticking away as Tenryuu, now quiet, eyes her in desperation. Sheets and hospitals, even makeshift ones, apparently were below that of The Great Tenryuu.

‘Oh, yeah, the girls caught a strange strain with their wounds.’ Akashi finally turns to you, ‘It was nothing serious, but it reacted really strangely to a light injection of fata aqueous. I was curious enough to get some readings myself, but it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.’

Akashi shrugs, and you feel a lump of worry drop onto you like a ton of bricks. You find yourself pleading with whatever was listening to heed your prayers.

‘Are they in danger of it spreading?’

Akashi giggles, waving your worries off.

‘Oh, Heavens, no!’ She looks to the clipboard before going back to you, ‘Shigure’s wounds are par for the course for field duty, so we just ran standard treatment on her; Tenryuu and Nachi had some kind that strain… that was threatening to spread… but whatever it could have been, the fairies on board of the RAY seemed to have it under control before the Squadron was put into our care.’

Something else she had said from before catches your attention – you address it.

‘You said the fairies were angry?’

‘Yes. I can’t get into their heads, I don’t think anyone can, but you’ve seen them do all the stomping and chirping, right?’ She mimics the movements, but does a terrible job of it. ‘Well… the fairies that tended to their wounds… well, they glowed. Whatever it is, they don’t agree with it on an existential level.’

That made sense after what the Grand Lieutenant told you.

‘Anything you can tell me about it, sir?’

You bite your lip, hesitant… and loathing yourself for channeling his slight demeanor in your next statement.

‘Actually… I was hoping that you could.’

Akashi eyes you suspiciously, but sighs and turns a page on the clipboard – several pages, in fact. She takes a few sheets out and rests the clipboard on the chair, right on top of Tenryuu’s torn jacket, shuffling through them for a while before resting her eyes on you again – there’s an exasperated aura to her now.

‘Well, before I applied the fata aqueous treatment on Nachi and Tenryuu… I was able to compile data on whatever the infection’s activity scales were.’

You blink, surprised.

‘Data?’

She bites her lip, motioning the pieces of paper nonchalantly – there’s a hesitation in her demeanor, and she doesn’t have that healer’s aura anymore. There’s a tiredness that had seemed to take over.

‘I can give it to you, sir.’ She says suddenly. ‘Something about the readings just makes me feel… I don’t know. I just don’t feel like I should be hanging on to it.’

>‘Keep it.’
>‘Pass it to the Admiral.’
>‘Thank you, Akashi.’

>>153144
>‘Pass it to the Admiral.’
>‘Thank you, Akashi.’

>>153144
>>‘Pass it to the Admiral.’
>>‘Thank you, Akashi.’

>>153144
>‘Pass it to the Admiral.’
>‘Thank you, Akashi.’

>>153144
>‘Pass it to the Admiral.’
>‘Thank you, Akashi.’

File: You're Not Bad Yourself Sir.jpg (405 KB, 750x1024)

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You take the research notes from her, and leaf through them. It looked like gibberish to you, but what you hold in your hands could very well be valuable to the Grand Lieutenant; charts, notes and graphs were littered on the few sheets that Akashi gave, and you see her signature and personal annotations on some of the items. You also see a lot of question marks and one-word questions on the side of the graph.

No wonder Akashi didn’t feel like hanging on to them.

‘Akashi,’ a thought hits you, ‘it’d be better to pass this on to the Admiral instead of to me.’

She looks at you, puzzled.

‘Commander?’

‘I’m just a grunt when all’s said and done – the Admiral’d know what to do with the data better than I would.’

You give the data back to her, offering a small smile of confidence as the data changes hands back to their original owner. Akashi hesitantly takes them, that puzzled look still back on her face. You holding onto it wouldn’t be any different than Akashi just putting them in a bookstrap and leaving them for pick-up. At least with the Admiral, she’d be given a better picture.

Or at least you hoped he would.

‘If you say so,’ she shuffles the paper gingerly, before looking up to you, her expression brighter, ‘no, you’re right. It’d be better in his hands than any of ours. I’ll send it to him later this evening.’

You reach a hand out to shake her hand. Akashi, confused again, looks between your hand and back to you.

‘Thanks for telling me about it. I appreciate it.’

Akashi chuckles, taking your hand and giving it a firm grip.

‘No problem, Commander.’ Akashi gives the collected sheets a good shuffling back onto the clipboard. ‘They should be out within the next two or three days, barring anything exceptional. I need to check in on the staff now; we’ll be going through a change in shift soon.’

Akashi sighs, but not from fatigue – she’s relieved now, at least, with things sorted out, or that’s what you think.

You put your hands in your pockets, nodding.

‘Thanks for all you’ve done for the girls, Akashi.’

Akashi freezes in place, her eyes wide.

‘Girls.’

She blinks visibly, before chuckling behind a closed fist and regarding you.

‘You called us girls.’

You didn’t notice it yourself.

‘Guess I did.’

Akashi gives you a respectful bow, leaving with a cheerful tune out of the tent. The only ones left are your Squadron members now, who each have bewildered expressions on their features.

Of course, Tenryuu’s still the loudest.

‘Commander got game, woo!’

With no mercy, you throw a pillow at your down Squaddie, who catches it with no effort, mischief glowing in her eye. You run a hand through your hair, wondering just how to proceed. Now that the spotlight is on you, you finally realize the full gravity of the situation.

This wasn’t as easy as it was when you tried to look cool.

>Debrief the Squadron
>Be discrete

>>153668
>Debrief the Squadron
We may as well be straight with them. This whole Grand Lieutenant business is likely to create complications further down the line, so the squad will need to be somewhat prepared for it at least.

>>153668
>Be discrete
I don't think it's the best of ideas to do it there, someone could be eavesdropping.

>>153668
>>Debrief the Squadron

>>153668
>Debrief the Squadron

File: Like This But With Girls.jpg (287 KB, 690x460)

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‘Tenryuu. Murakumo.’ You adopt a military stance as best you can, not liking what you have to tell your beaten Squadron. ‘I’d like to begin the debriefing session for our Op right now. I understand that all of you are injured, but I’d like to get this out of the way as soon as possible.’

‘Straight down to business, huh?’

The attention of the room turns to Nachi, her hair untied and herself clad in a hospital gown. She moves to sit down next to Murakumo; having just woken up, she’s a little groggy – her eyes are tired and her form lacking strength.

‘Nachi?’

You move to assist her, but she raises a hand, sending you a small glare. You move away from her.

‘Please, sir.’

As she sits down, you give one last glance around the room and sigh, beginning your unenviable labor.

‘As you all know, we failed to secure the objective as per the mission requirements. The bad news is that because of that encounter, the Squadron operating on the mission is now, under the authority of the Court of Admirals, has been given an official hush order in regards to the Op.’

‘What?!’

The three present Squadron members practically shrill at the revelation; you spare a glance to Houshou and Nagato, who gently press you to go on.

‘The mission record will be marked as just one page – UNSUCCESSFUL. Any and all intel from our discovery and encounter with the events in the compound are to be collected and given to the Admiral for direct transfer into the hands of the Court.’

Not surprisingly, Tenryuu is the first one to get to her feet, walking straight up to you, rank be damned. You can’t really blame her.

‘Do we at least get an explanation for all this? We’re just supposed to close the book and call it a day?’

You scratch the back of your head with your prosthetic, not liking how this was going one bit yourself.

‘That’s the worse news; the disclosure of the cause of events at Aquarius is restricted to the assigned Division Commander and only the Division Commander.’

You actually wish that they would yell at you, but all you get are looks of disappointment and mild disbelief. Murakumo’s eyes avert from you as you finish while Tenryuu clicks her tongue, as if she’d expected this from the get-go.

‘So they told you and you won’t tell us.’ Nachi laughs with mirth. ‘Typical.’

You move to call a dismissal, but find that Nagato had taken a spot on your left, a hand on your shoulder, and a gaze to everyone before you.

‘Not unless you want the Admiral to face the Tribunal.’

‘Huh?’

Houshou takes a place on your right, elegant and diplomatic, ‘The Commander… he can’t disclose what he was told by the Court of Admirals. If he does, it won’t just be us… but the base and the Admiral dragged into this.’

‘Seriously? Commander?’

You don’t know if Houshou and Nagato had made it any easier or more difficult.

>Disclose the terms
>Call it a night

>>154017
>Call it a night
'Disclose the terms' is to tell them the truth right?

>>154023
OOC: Disclose the terms is not to tell them everything, but to explain things further. You won't be talking to them about the experiment/tech/magic, but you will explain to them just how deep this goes.

OOC:Call it a night is a special prompt. It triggers something, but good or bad, that'll be up to you. It's a kinda reward for you standing up to the GL way back then.

>>154017
>Disclose the terms

>>154017
>Call it a night

>>154017
>Call it a night

>>154017
>tell them everything

>>154017
>Disclose the terms
I don't want to leave too much of a sour taste in our girls with this.

>>154024
If we disclose the terms do we lose the ability to take the other option?

>>154054
I mean we were all about trust and having our teammates back, now we're just hiding that there is a faction of zombies?

>>154024
>good or bad, that'll be up to you
I don't trust you to not make it for the third time a blind choice of "which door"?

>>154017
>Call it a night

>>154075
OOC: Exactly. Why do you think they're angry, and rightly so. But if you go back to your conversation with Houshou and Nagato, you'll see why you're risking it. You know you're making a call that's not making people happy, but you explain why you have to do it anyway. It's not a good day to be the Commander, but... well, them's the breaks.. Write-up in 10

OOC: Nah, it's just a scene. However, it is a very SPECIAL scene which you'll have rein of.

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‘I’d like to call it a night if it’s all right with you.’ You sigh tiredly, suddenly feeling that you’ve had enough scrutiny for one day. There’s a small call of protest of your sudden leaving, but you don’t care. You make your way past the surprised forms of Nagato and Houshou, feeling annoyed that they had to step in to keep you from tripping over your own feet. ‘Good night, ladies.’

‘Commander, wai – !’

You’re out the flaps in no time, your hands in your pockets with the intention of making your way straight for the barracks, far off as they are. Dusk is cool and the air is clear outside, and you feel the fire in your lungs slowly subsiding as you make your way past the new shift that had just arrived. Behind you, you can hear someone calling but choose to ignore them. You grit your teeth in anger at what just transpired; you didn’t need Houshou or Nagato to hold your hand! You didn’t need anyone to hold your hand!

You grumble as you make your way past an encroaching crowd and exit the MASH compound. Outside, a buggy with an unfamiliar driver argues with a crowd of personnel over a shift. You shuffle past the crowd and onto the ruined street, where several trucks loaded with who knew what had double-parked, taking up a huge chunk of the way.

Too frustrated to continue, you take the scenic route. There’re ruins and rubble here and there, but the streets are close to deserted on the beachfront. After what had transpired, you can’t blame the people of being paranoid. Hands in your pockets, you walk down a battered flight of stairs and feel your boots slightly sinking into the sand.

Tiredly, you flop onto the sand, eyes looking straight to the night sky.

Then you yell. Agony. Frustration. Anger. Everything bottled up and controlled suddenly comes loose.

Then with all that energy gone you close your eyes… and speak.

‘You’re such a screw up.’ The sand seeps into your fatigues uncomfortably from your position, but you find that you don’t care anymore. ‘Every day you tell yourself you’re gonna improve, man, you’re going to do better; you’re gonna ace the world and show ‘em what for. Good job showing them today.’

You pick up a rock, throwing it to the sea with your prosthetic.

You were in over your head before you even hit the water.

He was right.

But what else could you do?

Frustrated, you lie back down, racking your brain on just where you went wrong.

‘I got on that damn bus.’ You laugh darkly, running a hand through your hair. ‘I got on that damn bus thinking I was worth something.’

A silhouette, illuminated by the moon, comes into your view – a visage most familiar.

‘You are, Commander.’

>Write-In (Which of your Division members is it?)

>>154017
>Disclose the terms

>>154134
>Nagato