After the loss

[srwu_mods]

[1]
"..."

Commander in chief Roland Antov stands in front of a new place of interest in Alhambra - a memorial. Written on a heavy slab are names of those who gave their lives during service to Unity Group. Kanade Amou, Yancy Beckett, Denzel Hammer - these are only the most recent names. And there are surely more to come.

"No one ever said this is going to be easy..."

The commander mutters to himself. Are you here to talk to him, or to pay respects?

[2 - locked, NPC log only]


"Is this a joke?"

The commanders have gathered for an emergency report. They all stare at the lone paper lying on Antov's desk, surrounding it from all directions.


"I agree that Unity Group has suffered a lot of setbacks recently. Mission ended in failure..."


"We lost access to La Gias."


"Political support for Unity Group is waning."


"Then why did we receive a commendation and a budget increase?"

They all turn to face the inspector. Who curtly responds with...

"The Lady's Good Men cell was destroyed."


"Umm. Please do not understand me or my people wrong, inspector - this is good news. But... are our sponsors only interested in the Good Men?"

"I only relay the news." He starts gathering himself up, but before leaving, the inspector turns to say...

"Nobody forces me to be happy about it of course. But one of them..."


"Yes?"

"One of your sponsors is glad. Unity Group allows his nephew to play the hero, save the world. Keep up the good work."

Comments

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya stands a short ways back from the monument a sad, thoughtful look on his face. As he watches a few others come and go he seems lost in his own thoughts. Memories of another tombstone with a family who didn't want him, of one for one who died for his failure, and memories of the three who's names were on the wall all bled into one another. After a time he finally speaks to himself.]

Three more names that will haunt me. I could at one point name the heroes of units sacrificed against the BETA out of what I thought was respect. Somehow they lack the weight and burden that these do.

[Yuuya leans on a nearby post and continues to watch for a while longer.]

[srwu_mods]

"I don't want to judge whose deaths have more weight."

"We all knew it was coming but when it actually happened..."

[ugyuuya]

It's a lesson that people learn eventually, you can honor past heroes for what they've done but the heroes of our own forces, those we knew and will miss, stay with you longer.

We were able to assist with recovering Raleigh and were disabled while Denzel made his final stand. It's difficult even with forewarning of what to expect but for so many here they apparently didn't even get that.

[srwu_mods]

"Well..."

"This is part of a soldier's experience too, isn't it."

Antov sounds really dejected saying it, especially because it's true.