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"I'm wondering about you Vicky, you are self-owned apparently?"

"Correct. I was owned by Captain Morales until my mandatory liberation two years ago."

"But you stayed on board and continued to be employed under him?"

"Also correct. Captain Morales treated me fairly even back then and the pay offered is good also. You could also say I got 'emotionally attached' to the crew of 'Victory or Flight'."

"I chalk it up to loyalty y'know." Vicky raises her fist and Captain Morales fistbumps the android girl.

A) To Veran-Bok: CHATTY: "You have mentioned that you guys undergo budding, and now you keep talking about 'last budding'. I assume your lifespan is dictated by reproduction cycles?"
B) To Captain Morales: CHATTY: "You have a very interesting accent, Captain Morales. May I inquire where do you come from?"
C) To Captain Morales: FLIRTY: "You are such a big, strong man, Captain Morales, I must say your bearing is quite intoxicating for me~"
D) ...or you can just let the customers drink their drinks.

Maia Sanders: Operation Mount Silver has been noted for PMGC performance log as 'Accepted', Commander. Alerting Pilots from Team Sword right away.

Few minutes later, the strategic operation screen switches to tactical, showing the satellite maps of the area and photographs of the site.


The tactical screen shows the arrival of Maglev 1000 at the place where a dirt road, too narrow for a Roadtrain to traverse, branches off the main asphalt route.

Soon enough, four cockpit cameras go online as the pilots take their seats in the VanZer 995s. Soon, the headpiece cams of the Mecha also get online.

Thedros Palaikos: Palaikos here, I'm ready.

Carla Whiteforest: Whiteforest ready, Commander.

Arthur Lovelace: Lovelace here, all systems nominal.

Ichirou Natsugawa: Natsugawa ready for action.

The Maglev opens up and the Mecha begin to descend the ramp one by one.

Arthur Lovelace: Team Sword deployed. Our first assignment against the Mu Threat has really begun, huh...

Thedros Palaikos: Getting nervous, Arthur?

Arthur Lovelace: Only a liar would say 'no', and I am no liar.

There is an uneasy silence as the mecha walk along the dirt road, which slowly goes up as the terrain gets a bit hilly. The four mechas slowly finish their approach to the roadside inn, a three-story building with another building in the back and a rather large yard and bathing area enclosed under a roof in the corner of the compound.

Arthur Lovelace: Alright team, we are spreading out. Maintain scanner distance and radios open all the time.

The other three pilots confirm this, and Team Sword spreads out.

Carla Whiteforest: 2 from Roll, +3 from Tracking = 5
Carla Whiteforest: 2 from Roll, +3 from Tracking, -1 from Extra Test Difficulty = 4

Carla engages thermo-visual scanning mode and detects something, blinking in confusion.

Carla Whiteforest: Wait, what? They're underground? She then performs an additional scan.

Carla Whiteforest: I have ten human life signatures coming from underneath the main building. The readings are partial and I cannot ascertain their health and size. I will try to get inside the building for closer scan. Carla then directs her mecha towards the entrance of the inn.

Arthur Lovelace: 5 from Roll, +1 from Mental Fortitude = 6

Arthur Lovelace moves past the compound and descends a little downhill, zooming in on something. Several partially corroded and mangled bodies.

Arthur Lovelace: Oh, no... Commander Greene, I have found an adult human and three high schoolers on the slope downways from the main compound. They're... they're dead. Their bodies are misshapen and, and partially corroded.

Ichirou Natsugawa: Kuso! Ichirou swears over the radio.

Arthur Lovelace: I will... I will perform a med-scan on them now and send bio-data to the HQ for comparison. I wish I didn't have to zoom-in for that...

1. Investigate Monomachi Mountainside Inn for the Mu Threat.
*Not Yet Complete
2. Make contact with 14 High School Students and 3 High School Teachers.
*High School Students: 3/14 (Alive: N/A; Dead: 3)
*High School Teachers: 1/3 (Alive: N/A; Dead: 1)
3. Make contact with Monomachi Police Department Patrol Unit of 3 Policemen.
*Policemen: 0/3

Carla Whiteforest: 4 from Roll, +1 from Computers, -1 from Foreign Interface = 4
Ichirou Natsugawa: 2 from Roll, +1 from Computers = 3
Final result: (3.5) => 3

Carla's mecha stops in front of the heavy wooden door and pushes at it, before noticing a keypad on the side.

Carla Whiteforest: The door to the inn has an electronic lock and no Brittannian labels...

Ichirou Natsugawa: Hey, lemme, I'm Dayamato after all. Ichirou brings his mecha over and leans to inspect the keypad, helping Carla open the door. Unfortunately, they fail, and Carla decides to go with a true-and-tested approach: smashing the door open.

Carla Whiteforest: Well, at least we can get inside.

Ichirou Natsugawa: Let's hope no Mu slips through while we're busy, though.The two enter the building, sweeping the main room and side corridors with their exterior cameras and lights.

Thedros Palaikos: 2 from Roll, +3 from Tracking = 5

Thedros Palaikos: I have a Mu reading on my sensor, in the woods behind the bath building. I'm going there now. Thedros directs his mecha to the area, and its onboard Mu Counter begins spiking to low-mid values. He slowly navigates the forested area, before something violently writhes in the thicket.

Thedros Palaikos: There! Thedros shoots the being on screen with his Mecha's laser rifle. The being bounces upwards in a dying spasm, a gross crossing between an oversized centipede and a spider. It falls down on the grass and freezes, bleeding blackish blood from the gaping laser-inflicted hole in its thorax.

Arthur Lovelace: You got it? You shot the Mu? Arthur asked via radio.

Thedros Palaikos: Yeah! And it's a big one too. Then Carla joins in on the radio conversation.

Carla Whiteforest: From what we know about Mu, they operate in groups and herds, right? Let's not celebrate just yet...

Carla Whiteforest: 2 from Roll, +3 from Tracking = 5
Ichirou Natsugawa: 4 from Roll, +3 from Tracking = 7
Final result: 6

In the meanwhile, Carla, inside the inn, points her mecha downwards, engaging the scanner. The partial readings about a group of humans return.

Carla Whiteforest: Hey Ichirou, lets scan from two points and compare the readings for better accuracy?

Ichirou Natsugawa: Sure. The two then take positions on opposite ends of the main hall. The composite readings manage to get bio-data on 2 adults and 8 teenagers down below, with their life readings quite okay and no Mu contamination whatsoever.

Carla Whiteforest: Nice! Now the question is, how did they get there? There's no underground rooms on the facility map...

Ichirou Natsugawa: Thirty years ago we had a war with Ivanian Empire over the Dango Archipelago, and back then many private buildings like this one had special compartments or basements hastily built in case of nuclear attack. In most cases, no one bothered to report to construction authorities, so... there's ought to be a secret staircase and ladder shaft somewhere.

1. Investigate Monomachi Mountainside Inn for the Mu Threat.
*Not Yet Complete
2. Make contact with 14 High School Students and 3 High School Teachers.
*High School Students: 11/14 (Alive: 8; Dead: 3)
*High School Teachers: 3/3 (Alive: 2; Dead: 1)
3. Make contact with Monomachi Police Department Patrol Unit of 3 Policemen.
*Policemen: 0/3

Arthur Lovelace: 2 from Roll, +1 from Crowd Control = 3
Arthur Lovelace: 6 from Roll, +1 from Battling, -1 from Not All Accounted For = 6

Traversing down around in the thicket, Arthur's Mu Counter starts picking several low signatures all around him.

Arthur Lovelace: Four, five, four... no, five? Six?? It was obvious that Lovelace was getting confused by the readings.

Arthur Lovelace: Here they come! Despite not being best at tracking multiple targets, Arthur did make best use of his laser rifle. The creepy centipede-tentacle-slug monsters were curling into spirals shapes in their death throes, one by one.

Arthur Lovelace: Five down. And then another Mu came at Arthur's mecha, only to be shot down.

Arthur Lovelace: Six! And suddenly one more burst out from the bushes, but Arthur aimed at it and shot it dead. The MC's output now went back towards, but did not reach, zero, yet.

Arthur Lovelace: Oh, phew, okay, seven. There was seven of them...

Thedros Palaikos: 3 from Roll, +3 from Tracking = 6
Thedros Palaikos: 2 from Roll, +3 from Tracking = 5

Thedros follows a trail of car tires starting from a run-over Mu centipede-thing, and then down the dirt road towards the nearby river. He stops his mecha in front of a police car busted open and a partially corroded corpse of a policeman in partially-equipped protective plasteel suit.

Thedros Palaikos: Found the police car, and one of the officers, or what's left of him. Scanning for biometrics now. He performs the scan, then circles the car and then picks up some shoeprints in the dirt, leading him into the trees again, then down the slope towards the riverbank. Ultimately he stops by a scene of a schoolgirl's corpse and two policemen - the schoolgirl was face-down and the policemen were face-up. The schoolgirl's body was facing towards the river while the policemen were obviously caught running away.

Then Thedros zooms on the girl's left leg and fabric wrapped around it.

Thedros Palaikos: ...they've pushed her towards the river and ran away. He speaks with a hint of displeasure in his voice, his zoomed-in view of the leg showing a bandage wrapped around the dead girl's ankle.

Ichirou Natsugawa: Say what?? Ichirou asked through the radio.

Thedros Palaikos: Yeah. Found the bodies of a high school girl and two policemen. And that's how it looks to me. She was wounded, they were probably helping her out, I guess they got accosted by a Mu probably jumping on them from the river... so they pushed her towards it and ran. They didn't get away too far, though.

Arthur Lovelace: Are you kidding!? Arthur shouted over the frequency.

Thedros Palaikos: So much for serve and protect, huh? But, no matter now, does it? I will scan the bodies to obtain their biometrics...

1. Investigate Monomachi Mountainside Inn for the Mu Threat.
*Not Yet Complete
2. Make contact with 14 High School Students and 3 High School Teachers.
*High School Students: 12/14 (Alive: 8; Dead: 4)
*High School Teachers: 3/3 (Alive: 2; Dead: 1)
3. Make contact with Monomachi Police Department Patrol Unit of 3 Policemen.
*Policemen: 3/3 (Dead: 3)

Ichirou Natsugawa: 3 from Roll, +1 from Interpersonal Skills, +2 from Dayamato Native = 6

Carla Whiteforest: Hey look, there's a console under the receptionist's desk. Carla leans with her mecha to push a large button on it. A section of the floor produces a 'clunk' sound as the panels are pressed and slide underneath others, exposing a protective plasteel compartment door. Ichirou pulls the door open with his mecha's arms. A group of eight teenagers and their two guardians make a chorus of gasps and murmurs as Carla directs her mecha over as well, the metal behemoths towering over the kneeling and sitting Maians down there.

Carla Whiteforest: I don't speak Dayamato.

Ichirou Natsugawa: I do, obviously. Ichirou then asks several questions to the scared and confused teenagers and teachers. After a moment, the teachers begin replying to them, a conversation following.

Ichirou Natsugawa: They say that when the Mu attacked, most of them were at the inn and they've holed themselves in the anti-bombardment shelter, and their phones had no coverage there. They say that several others are missing, with four headed for a forest trip with another teacher earlier today, and two others snuck out for whatever reason. They don't know anything about the police, they didn't dare open the compartment out of fear for Mu. So we have two kids unaccounted for, but we could take at least these to the Maglev for immediate extraction and to keep them safe.

Carla Whiteforest: Wait, we can't just lead a school trip down the hill and to the Maglev. What if a Mu jumps us? We have mecha but the civilians having nothing but clothes on them.

Ichirou Natsugawa: Come on, Carla, I don't wanna leave them holed up here. Especially with the door busted open, if something slips through and then gets under the floor... we would have to stay in here and watch over them.

Carla Whiteforest: Okay, I'm not gonna be the one to make a decision here.

Subcommander Shiek, Commander Greene, you are monitoring this, right? Should we...

A) Take the highschoolers and their teachers back to Maglev? _{(This might necessite several extra, probably quite risky, Rolls)}
B) Or keep an eye over them here? _{(This will keep Carla and Ichirou busy for remainder of the mission)}

"Go north to Helige and then follow the Southern High Road along the coast. You will be in Westkust within ten days with marching pace and there's plenty of guardposts and inns to shelter at if needed on the road."

The door opened, and Lodewik entered, carrying two tomes.

"I forgot to ask which magic does your friend specialize in so I brought two. Which one would you like?" He asked, presenting the heavy tomes to the feminine mage.

//Levi can choose either Elfire or Elthunder!

You agree that it would be the most unfortunate accident, for Damdamians. The Spymaster smiles, and tips his hat again.

"Alas, such an accident won't happen easily. It will take time and effort to arrange for such - but some money handed over into unscrupulous hands would quicken it, m'liege."

A) "Sure, you can have the money, go have some tea with the Treasurer!"
B) "Actually, I changed my mind, we're calling this off."
C) "No money, but I believe you can do your best!"

You compose a reply.

1

It is bad enough that you yourself can see how bad it is, so you dismiss the rider without a reply at all.

The Army retreats further north.


Your return to the capital is heralded by weeping of widows and orphans, because of how few of those who ventured south have returned with you. The soldiers are given a respite while you announce your decision to host a war council.

Once you arrive at the audience hall, the Marshal salutes.

"My Emperor! We can have another ten thousand ready by end of the year, I think, and half of those numbers by the end of Summer. But other than that we're slowly appraoching our manpower limits!" The Advisor then steps up.

"We also could contact your relatives, rulers of Eldrican, or perhaps entice the Dwarves to offer us help in return for riches of our land, or just put up monetary offers for any willing mercenary bands there are in Methiant." It is time for Treasurer to intervene.

"No, my lord! Our economical ratings are already middling, and if we overspent on this war effort, I fear for how our Empire will do in the next few years!"

As for reinforcements from abroad...

A) Send for the Dwarves!
B) Send for the Eldricans!
C) Nay!

As for buying mercenaries...

A) We need every fighting man we can get!
B) Trusting mercenaries to work alongside our professional, drilled army is a folly!

//Reminder that in such situations, split-votes will be nulled. Post both choices in one post.

You yell and order a charge right into middle of enemy formation!

3*

It does not go well; the charge is met with the Damdamian steel and armor of their soldiers, and their pikes and spears and firetubes easily cut and shoot down your horsemen and footsoldiers alike.

A stray shot flies by your cheek with a ripping noise and you feel hot blood on your cheek - the lead piece suredly have grazed you.

Then your horse rears in shrieking neigh!

5

Fortunately, you're able to hop off it and tumble down on the grass as the wounded mount collapses onto its back and then side, red foam at its mouth.

"Emperor! Protect the Emperor!" You hear shouts around you as some hands help you up and drag you away to safety.

Your officers act on their own and sound a retreat, but you regain some of your stable mind to order them cohesively, to at least ensure that the retreat won't turn into a rout.

6*

Despite the bloodshed and the chaos, your commanding coupled with the elite training of Methiantense soldiers ensures the retreat proceeds smoothly; the lines at the back go first, then the middle ones, then your block, and then finally the ones at the heart of the fighting break for it. All orderly, organized, and with rhythmic pace - your soldiers couldn't do it better.

Surprisingly, during the retreat, you hear the Damdamian horns ordering an end of the battle and retreat also. Seems that Caius isn't willing to pursue you today anymore.

Its only few hours till nightfall, and at the hastily erected camp north of the battlefield, you sit down, your cheek being cleaned by the camp healer. Your officers are busy tallying the wounded, the present and the missing, gathering the information well into the night

"Deliver unto me the news." You say as their delegation shows up in front of your fire, and the healer quickly gets out of your way.

"My liege!" Says one of them. "We have counted up those that can fight and those that are wounded to any degree. In total, we have sixteen thousand men left. But that's all of them, if we take away thouse that are suffering from any wound that denies them full fighting capability, then we have about ten thousand left. Of that, about a thousand are horsemen still mounted." You grimace, the numbers way too small than you would like.

"And what of Damdamians?" The officers murmur, before one of them bows his head.

"We had few stragglers watch the retreat of Damdamians from the field and then our mounted scouts spied as much as they were able. To all gathered estimates, anywhere between twenty to twenty-five thousand Damdamians managed to leave the field on their own, few hundred more were then lifted by their companions--"

You wave your hand at the officer, silencing him. Those numbers, compared to yours, are way too high for your liking.

The firewood crackles as the tongues of flame lick at them voraciously, your eyes affixed on the fire and your mind in thoughts.

Tomorrow...

A) We negotiate!
B) We attack!
C) We retreat!

"The ID system says your name is Veran, and rank is Bok, while you mentioned the smaller one being a Mo and those three behind Ko's, how does that work? Is your society a stratified one?" Veran-Bok lets out a melodic hum.

"By age and gender and profession, yes we are stratified. A Bok is a Vahin'Ti that mastered a trade, and my trade is trade-doing. A Mo is a male Vahin'Ti that is before his first budding, and is not growing in the learning-place. A Ko is subservient to a Bok, or any of lesser ranks, that lead a group or domain or a trade. A Bok without a Ko is like a worker without a tool, and what worth is a worker that does not work? As the Kos progress in their training, their Bok will grant them the title of a No; once they obtain document-plate to perform jobs freely and outside house-of-Bok, they shall become Dans; and once a Dan is learned and respected enough, they become a Bok. And this is only for those who do civil-trades, for soldiers and politicians have their own ranks of age and mastery. The eldest Vahin'Ti who survive their Last Budding and continue to serve and guide our peoples until their eventual flesh-collapse, receive the prestigious title of Gol." Veran-Bok takes in a deep breath after this lenghty explanation and suckles on his cross-shaped lips, perhaps to wet them?

"Two more buddings before me, but the sun-mold might cut my existence short." Veran-Bok does what you surmise is a Vahin'Ti 'shrug'. "Not every Vahin'Ti becomes a Gol, but such is life." He runs his large, thin hand over Momet-Mo's head, then turns to you, while Morales and Vicky have some of their drinks too - Morales puts down his shot glass afterwards.


"I would like more of the synthol you have obtained for me. It is a good synthol." With a nod, you quickly pour Veran-Bok a shot of Equator and serve it before him. He looks down at the glass with his large lamp-like eyes, then lets you scan his credchip again. (+20c)

Today Earnings: 177c
Monthly Earnings: 2992c

Veran-Bok quickly exposes his proboscis and, again, with that quirky little sound, empties the glass within seconds.

A) To Veran-Bok: CHATTY: "You have mentioned that you guys undergo budding, and now you keep talking about 'last budding'. I assume your lifespan is dictated by reproduction cycles?"
B) To Captain Morales: CHATTY: "You have a very interesting accent, Captain Morales. May I inquire where do you come from?"
E) To Captain Morales: FLIRTY: "You are such a big, strong man, Captain Morales, I must say your bearing is quite intoxicating for me~"
F) To Vicky: "I'm wondering about you Vicky, you are self-owned apparently?"