Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/01/2022 07:50 UTC+8
Ah~, never change, Ren Zhao; you never fail to be endlessly amusing~.Wearing a coy smirk and slitted eyes squinted into easy smiles, Qingshe stood to the side, not quite separate from the majority of Task Force Obsidian but not close enough to say she was "grouped" with them more-so than the Qing Restoration Society members in the area. In this situation, after all, she was amongst people to whom she owed quite a bit more "official" loyalty than a collective national task force of debatable hierarchy and discipline.
Shooting Ren Zhao a cheeky side-eye, Qingshe chuckled quietly at his boasting. The self-proclaimed "Dragon of the Zodiac"... she couldn't say she entirely trusted his good intentions, no matter how rich that might be coming from herself. Oh, to be sure, he was a staunch ally, but Qingshe had no doubt Huo Ren's erstwhile brother was as much in this for his own reasons as she was... and with markedly more selfish motivations to boot. Justice... morality... ending China's present tyranny... restoring the Qing rule? The Snake quite doubted any of that actually mattered to Zhao. He was here for one reason as far as she was aware, and that was to take for himself what he'd been overlooked for in favor of Huo Ren. Prestige. Respect. Authority. Power.
He sure can 'talk the talk'... but how much of that QRS propaganda of his is just talk, I wonder~?For all that she loved to rag on him internally, however, Qingshe didn't particular
distrust Zhao... or at least not his commitment to the bit... for now. By this point, having thrown his lot in with the QRS and ASEAN, there was very little chance the prideful man would compromise that with betrayal. His defection was as genuine as Qingshe's had been; of that much, she was fairly certain. Trying to go turncoat all over again would not see him welcomed warmly, and the Snake quite doubted his former masters had anything kind planned for him if he tried to come crawling back. In short, Huo Zhao had made his bed, and he had no choice but to lie in it. Therefore, if nothing else, Qingshe could at least trust that he had the victory of the Qing Restoration Society in his best interests.
Qingshe's grin only widened, as
Master Ren Zhao's little speech came to an end, and the Snake took the time to saunter past the bearded man with a toothy grin on her lips.
"Oh~, it's most comforting to be back on the home front, Dragon~," she all but purred, golden eyes gleaming.
"My my~, it does my heart wonders to be welcomed so warmly by Master~ Zhao, himself." The tease in her tone was subtle enough to at least not be construed as public mockery or overt disrespect, but there was no doubt that the Snake was making some form of continuation of perhaps overly familiar banter.
In the corner of her eye, Qingshe spied Noel drawing away from the group with Nico in tow, and she had to resist the urge to shake her head at the bits of conversation her sharp hearing picked up. She didn't get the sense that Nico would be particularly amendable to the less than subtle romantic overtures. Never mind that it was generally considered a poor idea to get "extensively entangled" with people of higher rank in any command structure, Qingshe would have recommended against it solely on the contextual merits of this individuals involved, just based on what she'd gathered about them so far.
More potentially immediately concerning than that impending social trainwreck, however, was the reminder that Nico had been exposed to the fell powers of the Downward Descent's leader. Based on what she'd seen of less fortunate victims of that madman -both pre and postmortem, "magic cancer" was certainly an appropriate way to put it. It was an affliction that apparently fed on the energy of Noble Arms, making treating it rather tricky by most supernatural healing methods, and Qingshe was reminded most immediately that she'd not actually had the chance to conduct a medical overview of Task Force Obsidian's members after the conclusion of the last mission.
She'd been at first far more preoccupied with dealing with the thunderstorm she'd inadvertently helped create, which largely consisted of mitigating the damage it would cause, raising shelters and giant lightning rods from her shadow around and above the evacuating team and their rescued hostages. Other than the cold from the rain and wind chill, she felt she'd done a decent enough job holding the line until the storm finally moved on and a proper evacuation was conducted.
Of course, even once that was done, she'd had other issues to concern herself with, like writing up her strategically redacted after-action report in a technically honest but ultimately self-flattering manner... and ensuring no-one they'd come to rescue died as a result of the supernatural weather. If even a single person perished due to the mere proximity of the clash of titans she'd participated in, well... Sure, she couldn't be held totally responsible, of course, but it wouldn't be a good look regardless and might give certain people annoying ideas about what they should try (and fail) to dictate as her limitations.
Still, most of the damage to lives and psyches had been done by Noel and Ai Chen, the latter of whom who was now well and truly dead, a charred, waterlogged corpse sitting in the Snake's shadow. If anything, despite the scale of things, it was a miracle that the Snake and Rooster's battle had somehow caused little to utterly negligible loss of life compared to Noel's wave of madness. Most of the collateral on Qingshe's end had been to the local ecosystem and weather, but such things would ultimately correct themselves in time.
Which was all to say, this lack of time to really breathe between the conclusion of the last mission and making landfall here in Mischief Reef had unfortunately left Qingshe with few chances to clean up several injuries that the team was still recovering from even now, injuries that made such a "vacation" as this more of a necessity than a luxury.
The Snake made a note to make some healing rounds as a high priority. No sense leaving things be, when her team could be fully enjoying their time here otherwise, unfettered by the weight of past battles. Amongst those, she placed an inspection of Nico quite highly in its own right, if for no other reason than she was confident in curing anything that might still ail him. After all, he'd spent enough time in her shadow already for her to get a body template to chew on. It was quite possible for her to completely rebuild his body from scratch if need be to purge him of any lingering curse from Superbia.
In the meanwhile, however, there was another matter she needed to take this opportunity to address...
"See you around, Dragon~. We should definitely catch up later." Waggling the fingers of one hand in farewell to Huo Zhao, Qingshe sauntered off, as Task Force Obsidian split up to explore the premises and engage in "vacationing" in each of their own ways.
Mischief Reef/Đá Vành Khăn/Panganiban Reef - 11/01/2022 08:05 UTC+8
Now then... where oh where would he be on a day like this...?Such were Qingshe's thoughts, as she traipsed about the island. Her target hadn't been in the places he'd usually be found in an "official" capacity for someone of his station, but a little asking around had given the Snake a few promising leads. After all, her target hardly had much need or apparent inclination to be subtle right here where they were ostensibly the most secure, and their position was such that someone was liable to be paying attention to their passage, no matter where they went.
Eventually -perhaps inevitably, however, her search finally led her out to one of the many beaches the island possessed. In the distance, across pale sands, sharp eyes spotted a familiar someone -none other than Sister Martha- sitting under a parasol... and someone no less recognizable standing next to her, swathed in frills and blue. Humming in the back of her throat, Qingshe ambled her way over, cocking a brow, as she caught the tail end of the two Arms Masters' discussion.
With her accelerated mental capacity and wireless connection, it took the Snake but moments to consult the internet for current events, and Qingshe had to restrain a frown at what she found. Preliminary US voter polling was not looking optimistic for ASEAN's interests in the war. If the US pulled out of both ASEAN and Ukraine after these midterms... Well, it wouldn't mean anything good. She could say that much with certainty. Of course, in principle, she actually agreed with an anti-war noninterference stance... In
principle anyway. In practice, this little
hiccup threatened to be highly inconvenient to her current interests, and it was all the more frustrating to know there was nothing to be done about it on her part, both practically in her physical incapacity to presently meaningfully interfere and
ideologically in her personal unwillingness to intrude in humanity's self-determination... to a degree. There was little sense expressing despair over something she couldn't change yet -if at all.
Instead, as she reached Marta and Jin Li, Qingshe adopted a more firmly unperturbed smile, as she spoke up.
"Mah mah~, there's not much sense dwelling on things we cannot change, Young Emperor," she said to Jin Li, cocking a single amused brow at the way he was childishly doodling in the sand with his Noble Arm. The Snake of the Zodiac, both Chinese and QRS, was wearing her usual salacious black and white "dress" of a battlesuit like the casual wear she treated it as. She had no immediate plans to acquire any beachwear, but if the impulse struck her, she could always dip into her shadow for a change of attire. In the meanwhile, she was presently acting in a more official capacity as an Arms Master of the QRS, and that meant at least ostensibly dressing the part.
Folding her arms underneath her ample chest, Qingshe chuckled and sighed, briefly pausing to wistfully appreciate the glittering blue waves and the horizon on this warm sunny day, before returning her attention to the conversation at hand.
"I prefer not to rely on miracles to attain victory. If this misfortune for our cause is imminent, then we should be preparing to adapt to the new status quo. With effort and ingenuity, I'm confident we can still prevail." One hand's fingers tapped a thoughtful rhythm upon her other elbow, as the Snake hummed in thought, before her lips pursed into a half-frown.
"Speaking of... 'miracles', however, that brings me to a matter we must discuss: that being the apparent necessity of such absurdities in all of Task Force Obsidian's missions."Eyeing Marta, Qingshe smiled apologetically.
"I do apologize if this comes as a disturbance to your relaxation, but this matter is simply one that cannot wait, I think." She eyed Marta's bandaged arm and then blinked and smiled warmly.
"Ah, I do apologize for not getting around to it, but if you're still recovering, I'd be more than happy to patch you up fully." She grinned and gave a small wink.
"No sense leaving you injured on vacation, right~?"Her gaze then flicked back to Jin Li. She began speaking in Mandarin. She wasn't entirely sure if Marta couldn't understand the language, and she wouldn't have entirely minded if she could in this case. But she was at least paying lip service to OPSEC.
"This is a concern that I've had since the first day the TFO was created. No, rather, even before then; it was already apparent that this was an issue that somehow wasn't getting resolved. And even after I did my best to clandestinely plug the more... digital holes, the problem has yet persisted."Frowning in truth now, Qingshe loosed a sigh through her nose.
"There's really no kind way to put it. ASEAN's operation security is a dumpster fire. In every single mission I've been in with their Arms Master task force, without exception, the enemy has had some form of specific counter or trap prepared, and upon reflection, considering the odds, the latest mission only wasn't an unmitigated disaster due to my presence." Her expression darkened with distaste; as much as cutting loose could be fun, objectively speaking, she was no particular fan of being relied upon so heavily. That the odds were so long that her presence had been the only thing staving off a total defeat at the hands of Ai Chen and Huo Ren's artillery -not to mention Cao Bao’s apparent presence... It was
not encouraging.
"The last mission was the worst incident yet, and if the pattern holds, I'm only expecting even more effective traps in the future. We have a leak, a bad one, and unfortunately, I'm quite confident it's not a technological hole in ASEAN's OPSEC."Her expression was serious now, Qingshe demonstrating little levity in this moment, a notable contrast to her usually almost whimsical behavior. There could be little doubt to those that had any extended exposure to her that this was a matter that genuinely had the Snake perturbed.
"It is my observation, in my official capacity as a QRS Special Liaison, that our allies are demonstrating a crucial lacking in matters of upholding their responsibilities in this alliance." A small pool of ooze rippled out from beneath the hem of her dress, extending forth a small cylindrical platform not more than 10 inches across. Atop that platform, there rested a black binder and -atop that- a rather bulky-looking USB device. Casting her gaze around to check that no-one other than Marta was nearby, Qingshe gestured to binder and USB, an indication for the QRS leader to take them.
"This would be my present, unvarnished report on the events that have transpired so far... your eyes only for now, pending your personal choice of distribution."She sighed and shook her head.
"I realize this is not going through official channels, but I find myself with little choice in the matter to ensure our security. I do not know how deep the rabbit hole goes, but I'm confident that we have at least one traitor in a very high and very compromising position." Her expression darkened.
"As things stand, we cannot trust the greater ASEAN alliance. Their failure to retain the element of surprise in any meaningful way is unsustainable. We have thankfully been succeeding in spite of this failure, of course, but I don't think I need to explain that this is not a good thing."Closing her eyes, Qingshe inhaled slowly, held the breath for a steadying moment and then exhaled.
"Whoever the traitor is, they have intimate oversight over ASEAN operations, particularly in matters of Arms Master deployment and most relevantly in regard to Task Force Obsidian, the place ASEAN is presently placing an... unfortunate amount of eggs in one basket." Shifting, Qingshe cupped her chin with one hand, brow furrowing, as her golden eyes opened into narrowed slits.
"If the TFO falls, it will be not just a notable blow to ASEAN's effective power projection, but it will be a huge blow to morale. We already have far too few Arms Masters to spare compared to mainland China. To lose those gathered in Task Force Obsidian would destroy national confidence in the program."Her frown deepening, Qingshe clicked her tongue.
"I do not like to be in this position, but I can only make the recommendation -in my official capacity- that we internalize and segregate as much of our war efforts as possible, limiting our national coordination. As things stand, we must assume that any information shared with ASEAN is compromised. Any plan we make that they help execute must be assumed to be an impending disaster that will devolve into 'winging it'." Closing her eyes, the hand on her chin rose to massage the bridge of her nose in frustration.
Huffing, Qingshe shook her head and opened her eyes again, her expression firming resolutely.
"Not to say we should simply 'make do' with this disastrous situation, of course. Just leaving a major traitor to their own devices cannot end well for us, no matter how well we personally internalize our OPSEC." Once Jin Li had taken the binder and USB stick -if he had indeed done so, Qingshe's shadow would fully retract beneath her dress again.
"My Emperor, we must raise this matter with ASEAN somehow. This traitor must be dealt with if we are to win this war, especially with the impending withdrawal of the United States's aid. We cannot afford to be getting attacked internally as much as externally. However..."She raised one finger, her expression concerned.
"We must consider carefully: do we raise this matter loudly or quietly? If we go loud, the traitor may become more cautious, more discreet. It may take longer -take critical time- to weed them out. Yet, at the same time, going quiet means we are right back where we started. The very fact that we do not know who the traitor is to begin with raises the issue of who we can possibly trust in a high position to help organize efforts to oust the cancer."The Snake frowned, raising another finger.
"Not to mention, there's no guarantee this is the only major traitor. Furthermore, we've had so many 'volunteers'-" She carefully did not glance Marta's way when saying so. She held no ill will towards the self-proclaimed nun, of course, but in principle, she did not find her concern invalid in a generalized sense.
"-from all walks of life joining Obsidian, all of them accepted into the fold far too easily. I understand that times are desperate, that we need warm empowered bodies, but who's to say these volunteers aren't enemy plants in their own right? Anyone could be a leak, but I suppose if there's any consolation, those with access to the sort of strategic information necessary to easily set such targeted traps for Obsidian at least must rank above the bottom floor 'volunteers' start at."At that, Qingshe paused, finally having gotten this long-standing building concern off her chest. She could think of no-one better (though perhaps not quite as ideal) to go to first about this matter with her receipts to back up her conclusions than the young Emperor of the Qing Restoration Society. If there was anyone she could be absolutely certain was at least trustworthy (no matter what level his suitability for his unexpected position), it would be the leader of the QRS. There was no way the QRS would have lasted this long if he were a traitor, and so, keeping in mind her own technically overriding obligations to the QRS over ASEAN as a whole, the choice was clear.
She waited for Jin Li's response.
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