Time: July 4th, 2011
Location: Fire Moth HQ, England, United Kingdom.
The ticking of an overhead clock sounded throughout the room, a fairly modest office, as the two occupants sat across from each-other in silence. The man at the desk was an older gentleman, early fifties and sporting a well-groomed salt and pepper beard across his chin, accompanied by a bushy mustache. What hair wasn't grey was a chestnut brown, and he wore the contrast well. Despite his age, he looked little the wear for it, his build strong-shouldered, hands calloused, and face wrinkled only by a few crinkles under his eyes. He was in uniform, if casually, as his hat and officer coat hung upon a rack to his right. Upon the breast of the coat, the insignia for the rank of Major stood out proudly.
The young woman across from him, by contrast, couldn't have been older than twenty. Ashen of hair, she was paler than many might deem healthy, and her richly purple eyes bespoke of a nature beyond the mundane. She wasn't wearing a uniform exactly, dressed more as a well-composed civilian than anything else, but that wasn't too unusual for her kind. She was arguably less extravagant than some others of her profession, so at the least, she seemed to appreciate the idea of dressing appropriately for a formal meeting.
Spread out on the table, an open binder faced the girl, several sheets of paper pulled out. She leafed through the contents one after another, a frown slowly growing on her face, before she neatly organized everything and replaced most of it... well, that's what she'd have liked to say. After all, the "most of it" that she was singling out were the... issues she needed to address. Again, "singling out problems" was what her brain would like to have called it, but the truth was that it would have been easier to single out the bits that weren't problems.
"All due respect, sir," the girl finally said, looking up at the officer across from her, "but is this a joke? If so," she tapped the files she'd singled out from the group... which was most of them, "it's not one in very good taste."
The Major leaned back, simply raising a brow. "Are you deferring from the position then?"
The girl paused, lips tightening.
Pressing the attack, the Major continued, "If you don't think you're the right person for the job, we could always pass it on to one of the others." There was trepidation in the girl's eyes now. "If you think my judgement was in error, if you think you're not fit..."
After a moment of internal conflict, the girl's expression hardened. "It's not me that's unfit." Her hand clapped the table atop the documents. "It's this entire team." She didn't raise her voice, carefully aware of her position, but it was a near thing.
"That's a strong claim," the Major said lightly. "Care to elaborate?"
The girl's eyes narrowed. As if he didn't know. "I've seen their grades and the attached medical reports... Half this team is outright unfit for duty on the simple grounds of Honkai resistance." She scowled. "I get that they aren't going to just drop dead like the average joe might, but you're as aware as I that even if this team is only assigned to the lowest of the low missions, they are still supposed to have a safety zone. There's always the risk of the Honkai escalating, and if it were to, it would be deadly. Even a Class 1 Miasma zone would -by the books- warrant an immediate full retreat of half the team, just on principle."
"Fire Moth aims to enable all skillsets in the fight against the Honkai," the Major replied easily. "Not every Valkyrie will specialize in the same areas, and a balanced team requires variety. And moreover, you should be assured that a C-Rank team like this will not be sent up against anything that would mortally threaten them."
On paper anyway. But this was the Honkai they were talking about. Expecting it to not throw curveballs at the worst possible time was a fool's errand.
"If this were just about specialties, it would be one thing, but we have minimum standards for a reason. And some things are inherently more critical to shore up than others. These scores are just begging for a Honkai cascade... assuming a stiff breeze doesn't take them out first." The girl's expression darkened. "You're putting me in charge of leading these girls to their deaths."
The Major folded his hands at that, staring her dead in the eyes, before reaching down to flip open the binder. He slid a sheet free, the girl's own profile, and tapped a finger on a specific section. "You were chosen for this team, because you were deemed to be one of the precious few options that wouldn't lead them to their demise. Your unique 'gift' is the key."
The girl's expression tightened, but she didn't deny it. "And they couldn't have been spread out amongst other teams? Instead of having one that's practically got a foot on death's doorstep?" She ran her hands through her hair in an expression of stress. "These mental profiles are not really selling this team to me as one that will play it safe. And that's another thing..." She grimaced at the documents. "Why is it that I am -with what might be a single exception- the only sane one here? These psych profiles paint this team as a powder keg."
"That too, as you might imagine, contributed to your candidacy for leadership," the Major said, reaching over to leaf through the other files. "Miss Hughes was considered after yourself, but she was deemed to lack the force of personality to keep the rowdier elements in line."
"And Lehtinen?" the girl asked, even though she felt she already knew the answer.
"It is our opinion that she would lead the team into an especially early grave, and beyond that, no other candidates were deemed to have the capacity to ride herd on her even if she isn't leading."
"And there's no option to transfer?"
"The team assignments are final, pending casualties," the Major replied bluntly. "It's just a matter of how you wish to organize yourselves internally. So then..." his gaze sharpened. "What will be your decision?"
Resisting the urge to scowl, the girl reorganized and stored away the documents, stone-faced. "Not like I have a choice."
"We always have a choice," the Major said easily.
"I'm not leader material," she groused in defeat.
"Your records would beg to differ."
"Those were special circumstances," she protested.
"It was a trial by fire, and you rose to the occasion. Where those around you faltered, despaired and broke, you pushed on. That the situation was unusual is exactly why you are the right choice." The Major gestured to the binder. "Many of these girls need that sort of example in their lives."
The girl fell silent for a while, before scooping up the binder. "Please note, for the record, I accepted this assignment under protest. I'll have my concerns filed officially, and I hope they'll be accounted for if this goes up in flames. If I might be excused?"
"You are dismissed, Miss Richter."
The girl left the room without a word, leaving the Major with his thoughts and the ticking clock.
Time: July 11th, 2011
Location: Fire Moth HQ, England, United Kingdom.
Across the base, personal devices cried out in alarm, as the personal battlesuits of several Valkyries were pinged for duty. Wherever they may have been since being first gathered and made at least slightly aware of their new teammates, the girls would all recieve the alert clearly, with backup alerts being sent to other registered personal devices like phones. To those same devices, they would all be sent a brief mission summary, a summons to provide support for a Honkai Outbreak.
It was a call to the hangers, where they would all find a Fire Moth transport waiting for them. There was little time present or humored for pre-boarding chatter, and all would be hurried aboard into a troop transport room, located at the back of the vessel and accessible via either the quickly closed ramp or the single door that led to the rest of the ship. Sturdy, armor-reinforced walls were hued a pale grey and the area lit fairly brightly. On either side of the room, long, conjoined benches sat with compartments for storing gear set into the walls above them. Altogether, the room seemed as though it could comfortably seat twelve or potentially squeeze twice as many if some were willing to stand.
According to the intel (provided to all who had bothered to read it), they would be assigned to cleaning up the stragglers from the main outbreak, which would -in turn- be handled by three teams of B-Rank Valkyries. As a team of C-Ranks, however, this team would not be expected to face much threat. Their job was simply to deal with whatever escaped the net of destruction the stronger teams wove, as for all their power, they were still only able to be in so many places at once. While the Honkai beasts would be primarily attracted to areas thick with Honkai energy, some would inevitably range out further, and this team would be but one of several assigned to exterminate them with extreme prejudice. The Honkai miasma level in the city was expected to be high enough to be dangerous to the C-Ranks, and so they were forbidden from leaving their assigned zones to enter it.
Destination: Rouen, Normandy, France
Incident Level: Outbreak
Miasma Level: 1 (epicenter); 0 (outskirts)
Expected Honkai Opposition: Zombie-Class, Chariot-class and Angel-class. No elemental variation detected.
Assignment Details: Canvas the town of Sotteville-lès-Rouen, south of the city, and slay any Honkai present. Guard the border of the primary outbreak zone and keep the stragglers contained for the duration of the incident.
Tucked away together within this fast-transport of the by now world-renown Fire Moth, the hum of powerful engines thrumming underfoot and loosing a muffled roar outside, the trip from the UK could be expected to last roughly ten minutes. Not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, but perhaps enough to gets one's bearings, make any proper introductions that haven't been had already, and perhaps get a strategy or few organized on what to do upon arrival.
The pale girl, Jessica, is somewhat tense. Though her expression is all smiles and confidence, the set of her shoulders and the lack of words passing her lips really say all that need be said to the outside observer. Though she was apparently assigned as the team lead by the higher ups -at least in the field, she has yet to organize any team activities or training, instead doing her best to let everyone get settled and adjusted... herself particularly. Perhaps this was a mistake in hindsight.
Even now, she has mostly kept to herself, has been tending to her gear and double -triple- checking that all is in order. The most words that have left her mouth up to this point are to tersely check that everyone in the team is present, accounted for and as prepared as they can be, only nodding at words of assent or restraining the urge to frown at denials.
It's the team's first combat mission since being assembled, abrupt as it is (and really, when isn't it abrupt with the Honkai?), and the silence is begging to be broken, even as battle imminently awaits your team upon the horizon, not but mere minutes distant.
The field is yours.
Location: Fire Moth HQ, England, United Kingdom.
The ticking of an overhead clock sounded throughout the room, a fairly modest office, as the two occupants sat across from each-other in silence. The man at the desk was an older gentleman, early fifties and sporting a well-groomed salt and pepper beard across his chin, accompanied by a bushy mustache. What hair wasn't grey was a chestnut brown, and he wore the contrast well. Despite his age, he looked little the wear for it, his build strong-shouldered, hands calloused, and face wrinkled only by a few crinkles under his eyes. He was in uniform, if casually, as his hat and officer coat hung upon a rack to his right. Upon the breast of the coat, the insignia for the rank of Major stood out proudly.
The young woman across from him, by contrast, couldn't have been older than twenty. Ashen of hair, she was paler than many might deem healthy, and her richly purple eyes bespoke of a nature beyond the mundane. She wasn't wearing a uniform exactly, dressed more as a well-composed civilian than anything else, but that wasn't too unusual for her kind. She was arguably less extravagant than some others of her profession, so at the least, she seemed to appreciate the idea of dressing appropriately for a formal meeting.
Spread out on the table, an open binder faced the girl, several sheets of paper pulled out. She leafed through the contents one after another, a frown slowly growing on her face, before she neatly organized everything and replaced most of it... well, that's what she'd have liked to say. After all, the "most of it" that she was singling out were the... issues she needed to address. Again, "singling out problems" was what her brain would like to have called it, but the truth was that it would have been easier to single out the bits that weren't problems.
"All due respect, sir," the girl finally said, looking up at the officer across from her, "but is this a joke? If so," she tapped the files she'd singled out from the group... which was most of them, "it's not one in very good taste."
The Major leaned back, simply raising a brow. "Are you deferring from the position then?"
The girl paused, lips tightening.
Pressing the attack, the Major continued, "If you don't think you're the right person for the job, we could always pass it on to one of the others." There was trepidation in the girl's eyes now. "If you think my judgement was in error, if you think you're not fit..."
After a moment of internal conflict, the girl's expression hardened. "It's not me that's unfit." Her hand clapped the table atop the documents. "It's this entire team." She didn't raise her voice, carefully aware of her position, but it was a near thing.
"That's a strong claim," the Major said lightly. "Care to elaborate?"
The girl's eyes narrowed. As if he didn't know. "I've seen their grades and the attached medical reports... Half this team is outright unfit for duty on the simple grounds of Honkai resistance." She scowled. "I get that they aren't going to just drop dead like the average joe might, but you're as aware as I that even if this team is only assigned to the lowest of the low missions, they are still supposed to have a safety zone. There's always the risk of the Honkai escalating, and if it were to, it would be deadly. Even a Class 1 Miasma zone would -by the books- warrant an immediate full retreat of half the team, just on principle."
"Fire Moth aims to enable all skillsets in the fight against the Honkai," the Major replied easily. "Not every Valkyrie will specialize in the same areas, and a balanced team requires variety. And moreover, you should be assured that a C-Rank team like this will not be sent up against anything that would mortally threaten them."
On paper anyway. But this was the Honkai they were talking about. Expecting it to not throw curveballs at the worst possible time was a fool's errand.
"If this were just about specialties, it would be one thing, but we have minimum standards for a reason. And some things are inherently more critical to shore up than others. These scores are just begging for a Honkai cascade... assuming a stiff breeze doesn't take them out first." The girl's expression darkened. "You're putting me in charge of leading these girls to their deaths."
The Major folded his hands at that, staring her dead in the eyes, before reaching down to flip open the binder. He slid a sheet free, the girl's own profile, and tapped a finger on a specific section. "You were chosen for this team, because you were deemed to be one of the precious few options that wouldn't lead them to their demise. Your unique 'gift' is the key."
The girl's expression tightened, but she didn't deny it. "And they couldn't have been spread out amongst other teams? Instead of having one that's practically got a foot on death's doorstep?" She ran her hands through her hair in an expression of stress. "These mental profiles are not really selling this team to me as one that will play it safe. And that's another thing..." She grimaced at the documents. "Why is it that I am -with what might be a single exception- the only sane one here? These psych profiles paint this team as a powder keg."
"That too, as you might imagine, contributed to your candidacy for leadership," the Major said, reaching over to leaf through the other files. "Miss Hughes was considered after yourself, but she was deemed to lack the force of personality to keep the rowdier elements in line."
"And Lehtinen?" the girl asked, even though she felt she already knew the answer.
"It is our opinion that she would lead the team into an especially early grave, and beyond that, no other candidates were deemed to have the capacity to ride herd on her even if she isn't leading."
"And there's no option to transfer?"
"The team assignments are final, pending casualties," the Major replied bluntly. "It's just a matter of how you wish to organize yourselves internally. So then..." his gaze sharpened. "What will be your decision?"
Resisting the urge to scowl, the girl reorganized and stored away the documents, stone-faced. "Not like I have a choice."
"We always have a choice," the Major said easily.
"I'm not leader material," she groused in defeat.
"Your records would beg to differ."
"Those were special circumstances," she protested.
"It was a trial by fire, and you rose to the occasion. Where those around you faltered, despaired and broke, you pushed on. That the situation was unusual is exactly why you are the right choice." The Major gestured to the binder. "Many of these girls need that sort of example in their lives."
The girl fell silent for a while, before scooping up the binder. "Please note, for the record, I accepted this assignment under protest. I'll have my concerns filed officially, and I hope they'll be accounted for if this goes up in flames. If I might be excused?"
"You are dismissed, Miss Richter."
The girl left the room without a word, leaving the Major with his thoughts and the ticking clock.
Time: July 11th, 2011
Location: Fire Moth HQ, England, United Kingdom.
Across the base, personal devices cried out in alarm, as the personal battlesuits of several Valkyries were pinged for duty. Wherever they may have been since being first gathered and made at least slightly aware of their new teammates, the girls would all recieve the alert clearly, with backup alerts being sent to other registered personal devices like phones. To those same devices, they would all be sent a brief mission summary, a summons to provide support for a Honkai Outbreak.
It was a call to the hangers, where they would all find a Fire Moth transport waiting for them. There was little time present or humored for pre-boarding chatter, and all would be hurried aboard into a troop transport room, located at the back of the vessel and accessible via either the quickly closed ramp or the single door that led to the rest of the ship. Sturdy, armor-reinforced walls were hued a pale grey and the area lit fairly brightly. On either side of the room, long, conjoined benches sat with compartments for storing gear set into the walls above them. Altogether, the room seemed as though it could comfortably seat twelve or potentially squeeze twice as many if some were willing to stand.
According to the intel (provided to all who had bothered to read it), they would be assigned to cleaning up the stragglers from the main outbreak, which would -in turn- be handled by three teams of B-Rank Valkyries. As a team of C-Ranks, however, this team would not be expected to face much threat. Their job was simply to deal with whatever escaped the net of destruction the stronger teams wove, as for all their power, they were still only able to be in so many places at once. While the Honkai beasts would be primarily attracted to areas thick with Honkai energy, some would inevitably range out further, and this team would be but one of several assigned to exterminate them with extreme prejudice. The Honkai miasma level in the city was expected to be high enough to be dangerous to the C-Ranks, and so they were forbidden from leaving their assigned zones to enter it.
Destination: Rouen, Normandy, France
Incident Level: Outbreak
Miasma Level: 1 (epicenter); 0 (outskirts)
Expected Honkai Opposition: Zombie-Class, Chariot-class and Angel-class. No elemental variation detected.
Assignment Details: Canvas the town of Sotteville-lès-Rouen, south of the city, and slay any Honkai present. Guard the border of the primary outbreak zone and keep the stragglers contained for the duration of the incident.
Tucked away together within this fast-transport of the by now world-renown Fire Moth, the hum of powerful engines thrumming underfoot and loosing a muffled roar outside, the trip from the UK could be expected to last roughly ten minutes. Not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, but perhaps enough to gets one's bearings, make any proper introductions that haven't been had already, and perhaps get a strategy or few organized on what to do upon arrival.
The pale girl, Jessica, is somewhat tense. Though her expression is all smiles and confidence, the set of her shoulders and the lack of words passing her lips really say all that need be said to the outside observer. Though she was apparently assigned as the team lead by the higher ups -at least in the field, she has yet to organize any team activities or training, instead doing her best to let everyone get settled and adjusted... herself particularly. Perhaps this was a mistake in hindsight.
Even now, she has mostly kept to herself, has been tending to her gear and double -triple- checking that all is in order. The most words that have left her mouth up to this point are to tersely check that everyone in the team is present, accounted for and as prepared as they can be, only nodding at words of assent or restraining the urge to frown at denials.
It's the team's first combat mission since being assembled, abrupt as it is (and really, when isn't it abrupt with the Honkai?), and the silence is begging to be broken, even as battle imminently awaits your team upon the horizon, not but mere minutes distant.
The field is yours.
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