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.]

[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...

[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.

[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?

[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 know where they found one...And they seem to think that Volya is a threat to humanity.

[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.

[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.

[herodrawing]

Who'd believe in ma...

Okay.

Who'd believe in prophecy and fate in this day and age?

[abugslife]

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

[majestic_keiki]

There's a giant plant monster on base, one of our comrades teleports at random when she's scared and there's Seta...Why not prophecy too?

[majestic_keiki]

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

[herodrawing]

Because... it's kinda hard to believe, actually.

Magic is one thing, but I don't think fate is controlling my every move. Or is it?

But if it does, then it means whatever we do happened because of fate too. So those knights shouldn't blame us for doing that, but then we shouldn't blame them either because...

Uu...

[Izuru is starting to develop a headache.]

[caressthedarkness]

[Nod.]

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

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

[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]

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

[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.

[majestic_keiki]

Maybe the prophecies don't deal with everything that will happen, only some things and people are free to do as they want the rest of the time.

Or maybe the leaders of the Knights just lie to their subordinates and there is no fate. Maybe they're just crazy and think there are prophecies when there isn't.

[herodrawing]

Either way, they act like they're doing a noble thing, but they're not!

[majestic_keiki]

They aren't...And I'm not sure how they can convince themselves of it after this. The demon leading this attack openly enjoyed torturing Volya rather than just killing him.

[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.