Just after returning to base

[majestic_keiki]

[After returning to base following that clusterfuck in Russia, Kei hung around the hangar for a bit. She'd found a quiet corner amidst all the technicians running around to attend to the returning mecha and their need for maintenance. Leaning against the wall with her helmet next to her, she was drinking something from one of those foil packs astronauts take their meals in.]

That was so messed up...

[She didn't really speak to anybody, but in a busy hangar you might very well have heard her anyway.]

Comments

[caressthedarkness]

I...could not follow much of what happened...

[Seta's white battle dress is replaced by her usual one a'la magical girl transformation. She just decides to sit on the hangar floor near Kei's location.]

[majestic_keiki]

[There was a small twitch as Kei realized she had company.]

I don't think anybody could. But at least the hostage and Volya are safe.

[caressthedarkness]

Yes...

[She doesn't mention anything about Volya's uncle, because that is an issue to be dealt with in time...]

And, I would not have thought of the perpetrator hiding among the hostages...

This will definitely be something to consider...

[majestic_keiki]

I don't think any of us knew he could remote control his unit like that...But at least we've got footage of his face, he can't do it again.

[caressthedarkness]

[Nod.]

Moreover, this manner of fighting is something I've yet to adapt to...

...Against the Kijin, it is always direct.

[majestic_keiki]

It is quite worrying...We've dealt with it before, but we might not always be able to keep everybody safe.

[caressthedarkness]

And...it may be impossible to prevent such a situation from happening...

[Because we usually get there too late...]

My head is in much pain from contemplating this...

[majestic_keiki]

Yes, we just need to be prepared for it and do our best when we get there.

[caressthedarkness]

I suppose...you are right.

[Which, for her, means thinking of ways to disable enemy units quickly without harming the ones inside...

Oh well, she'll figure something out, eventually.]

[herodrawing]

What happened out there, Kei?

[majestic_keiki]

A lot of stuff...

[Kei paused for a bit to suck more of whatever she was drinking out of her foil bag while gathering her thoughts.]

We had to join Loni's group in dealing with a hostage situation, but they didn't seem to care much about that. The enemy leader could remote control robots, something he used against us, even taking complete control of Loni's unit and used it to attack us...Loni even complained that he didn't get to finish the leader of the Good Men off.

And then there were the Knights of the Guiding Hand, they had already killed Volya's uncle to get to him and they used the confusion to attack again.

[She paused for another bit, looking at her bag.]

Their leader appeared to be an actual demon and she used some kind of magic to trap Volya in a field of terror to torture him to death...

[herodrawing]

...

You're not pulling my leg, right? It's not something Kei would do.

[majestic_keiki]

No...Volya's severely injured and I'm not sure we could have won if one the Knights had turned on her leader after seeing those methods used.

[herodrawing]

Why are these guys doing this? The whole of humanity is threatened, and they keep on fighting and killing innocents!

Where did they find a demon anyway?

[majestic_keiki]

I don't know where they found one...And they seem to think that Volya is a threat to humanity.

[herodrawing]

Who'd believe that? You just have to talk to Volya to see that it's not true.

[majestic_keiki]

I don't think they believe he means to do it, just that it's some kind of magic or prophecy or similar. Or maybe that's just the story they tell and they want something else.

[abugslife]

Are you trying to somehow make sense of the convoluted situation you were thrust into?

[majestic_keiki]

It wasn't really confusing...Just messed up with how people acted. Especially our enemies, but also Loni and Desta.

[abugslife]

Loyalties shifted very rapidly during this fight. If the report is correct, then I believe it was even a five-way battle at one point.

And yet, despite the actions of our enemies - and supposed allies - you managed to keep both the hostages, and Volya, safe. An exceptional job, all things considered.

[majestic_keiki]

I know...And, yes, it was a five-way battle at one point. More or less, at least. Sarah still nominally worked with the Knights and Loni and his group with us.

[abugslife]

Nominal situation and the real one are sometimes vastly different. A leader must take that under consideration.

A second time Gavin's group fights alongside Unity Group, and a second time something like this happens. Pat yourself on the back for averting a very close catastrophe.

[majestic_keiki]

I'd rather that they were just removed from any military roles. They're just in it for their own egos.

[abugslife]

They do not have any military roles. Their participation in this fight is strictly independent.

Your assessment is completely correct. At this rate, eventually someone from Gavin's group will go too far, to the point when Unity Group will not be able to tolerate them any longer. I can only imagine what will happen then.

[majestic_keiki]

Why are so many officers so useless? Somebody has to give them orders, provide robots and so on and they're responsible for whatever these people get up to. It's that admiral all over again.