ARCHIVEMENT OF EXECUTOR

[keep_your_dignity]

1

[So, yesterday's mission went comparatively well. As such, one might think that after holding off near-singlehandedly a mechanical Cthulhu the size of a building, Kagura might be celebrating. You'd think wrong.

If you want to find her to ask her something, you'll probably find her in a very out of the way office at Alhambra, with a cable connected from her form to a computer, filling out the paperwork and debriefings like a prim and proper officer should. Unity Group may be mostly comprised of lawless mavericks, but some people still hold to regulations. She's still pretty scratched from the mission, but she can get her repairs later. Nothing vital was hit, anyway. Also, if you are very observant, you might notice the names of some of the people in yesterday's mission in the scrolling forms.

If you want to bother her, though, this is probably the best time, insofar as there is any good time to bother the grumpy Major]

2

[A bit later, you might find her talking on the comm in an empty room. The other side of the comm can't be heard, but deducing the gist of the contents from Kagura's reactions from the moment you're in earshot is not really very hard]

WHAT.
[Pause as the other side talks]
WHY WOULD WE EVEN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
[Short pause]
YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS. OF COURSE THERE WERE GRAVEYARD EXECUTORS NEAR THE HACKED SUITS. I SENT THEM THERE TO HELP WITH THEIR DISABLING. HOW EXACTLY WOULD ARMED OPERATIVES HACK A HUNDRED POLICE SUITS.
[Very long pause, probably an explanation]
WONDERFUL. WELL NOT LIKE WE SHOULD CARE. JUST ANOTHER ANNOYANCE.
[Short pause]
I'LL KEEP IN TOUCH.

[And with that, she cuts the communication channel, before grumbling to herself]

I HATE MEDIA.

Comments

1

[herodrawing]

[Your paperwork may not go as smoothly as you hoped for, Kagura. The reason for it is that there is a rookie team leader constantly hovering around you. Is it stalking if Izuru doesn't even bother to conceal his presence?

He's starry-eyed with a gaze of adoration, like you're his personal savior or something.]

[keep_your_dignity]

[Kagura pointedly ignores Izuru for a long while, hoping that if she doesn't acknowledge him he will go away. After the first twenty minutes it becomes clear it's not working, though. So without turning to him the robotic voice pops up]

HITACHI. DO YOU WANT SOMETHING.

[herodrawing]

You're a real hero!

[keep_your_dignity]

NO I'M NOT.

ANYTHING ELSE OR CAN I CONTINUE WORKING?

1

[majestic_keiki]

[The paperwork would be interrupted after a while by the appearance of Kei. She properly knocked before entering and was waiting in the door, rather than just barging in.]

Excuse me, but do you have a moment, major?

[keep_your_dignity]

[The "head" of the robotic armor turns slightly towards the door]

KUGIMIYA. YES, I CAN SPARE A MOMENT IF IT'S IMPORTANT. SPEAK.

[majestic_keiki]

It's about the PRAYERs...What are those things? And how can we prepare for facing more in the future?

[keep_your_dignity]

WE STILL DON'T KNOW. GRAVEYARD HAS BEEN STUDYING THEM FOR A WHILE, AND EVEN THOUGH WE CAN PREDICT THEM FAIRLY WELL BY NOW, WHAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE IS EITHER A MYSTERY OR BEYOND MY CLEARANCE. THEY DON'T EVEN PAY ATTENTION TO US UNTIL THEY PRACTICALLY RUN INTO A BUILDING OR SOMEONE SHOOTS THEM OR GETS WITHIN A DSTANCE OF THE SHAFT, THEN THEY BEGIN ATTACKING ANYTHING THAT MOVES. THERE'S ALL SORTS OF MYSTICISH THEORIES, BUT JUST THINK OF THEM AS WEAKER BUT MORE UNPREDICTABLE KAIJU.

AS FOR PREPARATION. THEY CAN POP ANYWHERE, AT ANY TIME, SO EXECUTOR TEAMS ARE READY AROUND THE CLOCK. THE APPEARANCE OF A SHAFT CAUSES A HUGE MAGNETIC FORCE SPIKE SO WE HAVE SATELLITES TRYING TO PICK THOSE UP TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND QUICKLY. THEY REAPPEAR WITHIN THREE DAYS UNLESS KILLED WITH SPECIAL WEAPONRY, BUT SOME CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS CAN HELP WEAKEN THEM, AS YOU SAW. NORMAL ENERGY BLASTS RARELY DO MUCH TO THEM THOUGH. YOU WANT BALLISTICS OR NONENERGY MELEE.

WE EXECUTORS USE OUR OWN TECHNOLOGY. THE DETAILS ARE HIGHLY CLASSIFIED. [Which probably explains why Kagura has her own repair crew instead of letting the base's gearheads touch her]

2

[cloningblues]

[Asagi heard that conversation as he passes by. It seems Kagura is swarmed by Rabbits these days.]

Huh? What was that?

[Beat.]

...Don't tell me. They think your group was responsible?!

[keep_your_dignity]

APPARENTLY SEVERAL NEWS OUTLETS FIND IT QUOTE UNQUOTE INTERESTING THAT THERE WERE OPERATIVES WITH THE GRAVEYARD INSIGNIA AROUND THE HACKED UNITS INSTEAD OF FIGHTING THE QUEEN.

THEY ARE NOT OUTRIGHT SAYING THAT WE WERE THE ONES PAYROLLING THE MYSTERIOUS HACKER, THOUGH. BUT THEY ARE NOT SAYING IT REALLY, REALLY LOUDLY.

[cloningblues]

That's dumb. These guys were there to find the hacker! Do the media think people around a fire who are not firefighters have started it, too?

[keep_your_dignity]

I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED. ONE DAY IF YOU'RE BORED TRY TO FIND ALL THE CONSPIRACIES THAT SURROUND GRAVEYARD. SINCE WE DON'T TALK WITH THE WHOLE LOT OF LEECHES AT ALL WE'RE APPARENTLY THE ILLUMINATI THAT CONTROL THE WORLD DESPITE ALSO BEING TOO INCOMPETENT TO MANAGE OUR WAY OUT OF A CAT'S LITTERBOX. IT'S AMAZING, REALLY.

2

[gold_four]

Trouble with the news? Welcome to our world.

[keep_your_dignity]

NOT TROUBLE. MERELY WONDERING HOW THESE PEOPLE MANAGE TO BE THIS DUMB AND NOT FORGET TO BREATHE.

[gold_four]

I had to explain this to someone else as well, but unfortunately, some people just like their conspiracy theories, however ridiculous.

[keep_your_dignity]

I'M AN EXECUTOR, SURUGA. I'VE KNOWN ENOUGH CONSPIRACY THEORIES TO FILL A BOOK.

I SHOULD NO LONGER BE SURPRISED AT THE SHEER IDIOCY OF PEOPLE, BUT SOMEHOW THEY KEEP ONE-UPPING THEMSELVES

[2]

[ugyuuya]

Sorry to interrupt Major but I have the logs and analysis of the TSF sensors that you requested. Sorry for being delayed but it took some time to sync up some of the more unusual readings that conflicting data over the system's link seems to have propagated. We're hoping the data can correlate into a predictive pattern for the shot disbursement but it could just be irregularities caused by signal interference or just the creature's own nature.

[He pauses for a moment as he hands over the files.]

If you'll pardon an unrelated question sir, wouldn't it be easier to let the UG group's PR department handle those inquiries? It saves you time and headache and keeps there from being multiple press statements from each component organization. Of course you wouldn't be the first or last officer I've met who preferred to do the hands on approach, I think half of them did it just to have something to complain about though... [the last thought drifts off as Yuuya appears to be thinking back to previous duty stations.]

[keep_your_dignity]

WHAT.

DO YOU THINK FOR A SECOND I WOULD BE DOING FUCKING RELATIONS WORK. NOT TO MENTION GRAVEYARD HAS ALWAYS HAD A POLICY OF NOT TALKING TO THE MEDIA. I WAS BEING TOLD ABOUT THE LATEST IDIOCY.

DO TRY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU HEAR BEFORE YOU SPEAK, BRIDGES, RATHER THAN AFTER. IT'LL SAVE YOU A LOT OF TROUBLE.

[Kagura takes the files and sets them aside on a nearby desk]

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya's face falls and he jerks back to the present rather abruptly and speaks in an annoyed tone.]

Well sir I'll apologize for the mus-understanding but in my experience higher ranks do eventually have more to deal with the media and politics. Heaven knows that Team Rabbits is pulled from fiasco to fiasco within the media without proper chances to rest in certain cases and Graveyard is making several policy shifts in incorporating into the UG forces so old policy may not be applicable any further.

But aside from that I was curious if you had any briefing materials on other know Prayers and their support units. We did well in the past mission but some behaviors were highly unusual like the ones that could jump on mid-air. If units were briefed on what we do know it could save repair costs or even lives with the negligible costs of time and effort to prepare and distribute the materials. I do believe that the command staff of the Argos flight is preparing just such a briefing to be distributed in anticipation of potential deployment against or invasion by BETA forces.

2

[prismphantom]

Oh, don't we all, treating us like celebrities when it just makes our work all the harder.

What is it this time?

[keep_your_dignity]

THEY WERE JUST TELLING ME THAT APPARENTLY THERE'S THEORIES THAT GRAVEYARD WAS INVOLVED WITH THE MYSTERIOUS HACKER AT SAKIHAMA.

[prismphantom]

... Even though that complicated our job tremendously and the Graveyard would have nothing to gain by it.

Some people will do anything for a story, won't they?

1

[anewmachine]

[One of those connections she's using shows a chat ping. It's Liz! Just inviting the Major to talk. Kagura can even ignore it, if she wants.]

[keep_your_dignity]

[Kagura opens the connection with only a momentary electric grumble]

WHAT IS IT, BUTLER.

[anewmachine]

[Dan-da-da-daaaa! Liz has a party hat on and is blowing a celebratory noisemaker.]

Congratulations, Major! You saved the city!