Raven_Operative

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

@KoL I already posted the convo to the thread, but if you guys have more you want to say, I can always edit it in.

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

Nope, but if you can't think of anything to write, Zark will probably start having Hunt give orders, etc, soon.

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

Ok, uh... @everyone, I guess? Let me know if anyone has played a character present at Vasel who I missed in the awards ceremony, and I'll edit a part in for them.

Since Lennon isn't here, Zark, you're the one going to be giving the orders to the squad.

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

Lord Barst

While the squad was still burdened with their morning PT, a staff car and pair of escort trucks rumbled through the morning fog and up to the main gate of Fort Breda. It was there where it was greeted by the sentries on duty. They dutifully stopped the convoy, demanding identification, a manifest, and other documents, but their professionalism quickly faltered when it became apparent exactly who the convoy belonged to. "S-Sorry, m'Lord! We didn't know you were coming!" The soldier who was inspecting the vehicles went white as a ghost and hurriedly saluted the noble sitting in the staff car's rear. Behind him, the other pair of sentries quickly stepped out of sight to straighten their uniforms. "Don't let my station phase you, I'm a man just like you. Finish your inspection in accordance with protocol, though please do not delay. I have many things to attend to." Lord Barst, a thin, black haired man in his early 40s, returned the salute, speaking in his usual sneering tone. Said sneer sent mixed messages to the sentry, who couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or supportive. The man quickly nodded, replying with a quick 'Yes, m'Lord', and hurried through the rest of the inspection. In truth, there was no hidden meaning or masked distaste that Barst had for the guards - his voice just naturally sounded this way. It was a slight boon when conducting negotiations, because it was difficult to tell what his actual feelings were, but was not so helpful when dealing with people on a personal level. Once the sentry had finished his inspection, the convoy proceeded through the gate and into the main portion of the camp. "Driver, take us to the NAFFI. We will find Squad 4 in due time, but first I need some coffee."

***

A half hour later, Lord Barst and his entourage had arrived at the edge of the field Squad 4 had been using for PT. Squinting through the morning sun and shielding his eyes with the visor of his officer's cap, he strode across the field towards the resting group. It didn't take long for Harald to notice the approaching group of officers (their rather impressive dress uniforms were difficult to miss), and he quickly called the squad to attention. "At ease, at ease, all of you. This visit is not particularly formal, but please listen to what I have to say." Barst took a swig from his coffee mug and looked around, inspecting the squad that had apparently saved his unit. The large amount of women and disproportionately low average age of the group were two things he noted. By all accounts, that should have been a hindrance for them, yet their achievements on the battlefield spoke for themselves. Interesting.

Once the group had relaxed a bit, Barst handed his mug to one of his aids, crossed his arms behind his back, and began to slowly pace back and fourth in front of the unit. "We have not been properly introduced. I am Lord Barst, the defacto officer in charge of the division that you were invaluable in rescuing at Vasel. For that you have my thanks and the thanks of the men who were able to make it home safely because of you." He motioned to one of his aids, who began distributing envelopes to every squad member. "Let it never be said that I am an ingrate. As thanks for your assistance and in recognition of your conduct on the battlefield, I have authorized weekend passes to the capital for all of you, as well as transportation and accommodation. The envelopes my aid is passing out contain your train tickets, hotel keys and instructions."

His first talking point completed, Barst paused until his aid finished handing out the envelopes, shifting his eyes over the group again. Yes, the group was irregular enough, and most seemed happy to be getting some time off. They were a perfect fit for his plan. Once everyone had their envelopes, He whispered for Harald to call the squad to attention. "Right, there is one last thing to take care of - Something which requires a bit more formality. In honour of our success in the recent battle, all soldiers involved - militia and army alike - have been awarded the Vasel Service Medal." Once the squad was at attention, another aid produced a medal box, and Lord Barst began calling fourth the older members of the squad.

"Private Fairglaive. Please step forward." Since the squad was in their PT uniforms and not proper dress uniforms, instead of pinning the medal to her shirt, he simply shook her hand and passed her the medal in it's box. "The prisoner you captured provided us with useful intelligence and was part of a POW trade. Congratulations."

"Private Hexner. Please step forward." As he shook her hand and gave her the medal, he addressed her accomplishments in the battle. "I heard you were wounded in action but still assisted another squad member with your medical supplies. We'll have to work on getting you a Crimson Heart for that. Congratulations."

"Private Jatmoore. Please step forward." When she approached Lord Barst, he looked her up and down, before nodding in approval. "You're turning into a fine young soldier. Your father will be pleased to hear of this when I speak with him next. Congratulations." He shook her hand and gave her the medal before dismissing her.

"Private First Class Rousseau. Please step forward." Again, he shook her hand and passed her a medal. "Reports say that you were vital in clearing houses and covering the wounded. You've earned this medal well. Congratulations."

"Private First Class Carn. Please step forward." Lord Barst wasn't a particularly short man by any means (though he was of below average height), but Evan absolutely towered over him, causing Barst to have to crane his neck while addressing him. "While not an active participant in the main assault, your driving skills saved your Sergeant's life and assisted with the pathfinding tasks. That's as good a reason as any. Congratulations." Once he dismissed Evan, he flexed his hand (which had nearly been crushed by the mechanic's vicelike grip), and cracked his neck.

"Corporal Hunt. Please step forward." When Hunt came forward, it quickly became apparent that Barst had more than just a medal on his mind. When he shook Hunt's hand, he passed him another envelope. "Keep this quiet and let the squad enjoy their Saturday. On Sunday I have a task for you. Gather the squad and follow the instructions in this letter." With that said, Lord Barst handed him his medal and continued. "You were thrust into command of your squad, saved one of our tank crews, and performed admirably in the field, despite your low rank. By all rights, this medal is a paltry reward for your achievements, but please accept it as a symbol of Gallia's gratitude. Congratulations."

"Sergeant Harald. Please step forward." When Harald came forward, Lord Barst surprised some of his aids by shaking the Darcsen's hand and treating him with the same respect as everyone else in the squad, rather than looking down on him. The news he brought was not entirely good, though. "Unfortunately you will not be joining the squad in their trip to Randgriz. I have a job for you of utmost importance. Please follow the instructions in this envelope and burn it after reading." With that, he handed the Sergeant a letter and two medal boxes. "In honour of your achievements and in recognition in your grave wounds sustained in the service of Gallia, I hereby award you the Crimson Heart and Vasel Service Medal. Congratulations."

Once the medals were distributed and everyone had returned to their positions, Barst made one final announcement. "Ordinarily I would have held a proper awards ceremony, but time is very short. Your train leaves three hours from now and one of my drivers will take you to the station. Corporal Hunt! Sergeant Harald has business with me, so you will be in charge of the squad for this weekend. See to it that they pack well and enjoy themselves, understood? Farewell." With that, the Lord spun on his heel and departed, leaving his aids scrambling to catch up with his brisk pace. Those with either a prior knowledge of the military, or an in depth knowledge of Gallian aristocracy would notice that the man's shoulder cape had an odd insignia on it. Instead of belonging to a military division or squad like most other officers, Lord Barst's signified something entirely different - It belonged to the Gallian Intelligence Service.

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

Lilly, Eris & Veronica's Conversation

"Callaway. Private Callaway."

Veronica took the girl's offered hand in a firm grip and shook it, foregoing the first name because everyone only ever used last names in the military anyway. First names were usually reserved for those who were on a personal level with you. She went for another swig from her canteen and looked over to Eris, noting her regal air about her.

---

"I see, would it bother you if I took a look at it?" Eris asked. "I'm Eris Reinhardt since I have medical training and will be taking care of you all from now on. I'm sure I can at least help you relieve the stress with some Ragnaid."

Veronica's legs didn't seem in a far too bad shape, at least from where Eris was looking. Even so, she could always have a lightly sprained ankle or muscle cramp. It wouldn't hurt to take a look. As long as Veronica allowed it, of course.

"Well, it seems like things managed to work themselves, didn't they?" Eris said in a cheerful voice as she noticed Lily coming to their encounter.

Even then, one thing still bothered Eris. She couldn't take her eyes off that child from earlier for much long. Uneasiness was visible on her face as she looked at how a child could prance around a military base with such gleeful demeanor. "I really don't get it why they allow children to join the Militia. We should be the ones protecting them, not sending them to war. War is already bad enough as it's, I just can't bear the thought of seeing a child as old as the ones I teach get hurt fighting it."

---

Lilly smiled and nodded. "Pleasure to meet you, Private Callaway." When Eris remarked about the child arriving in their unit, Lilly sighed. "Could the war situation have already become that dire? I pray we haven't lost enough soldiers to consider recruiting young boys, but..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence, but quickly composed herself. "It is probably best not to dwell on that. How are the two of you liking the squad so far?"

---

"Well, we are the militia. We don't have a lot of the same retrictions as the Army does, not to mention the equipment..." She said the last part a bit mumbled. "Besides, we're a tiny country. We're fighting a war hopelessly outnumbered, so we need everyone we can get."

---

Eris raised an eyebrow as Lily changed the subject ask of a sudden, after touching the topic of their youngling recruit. Could it be that Lily was interested in young boys? She didn't look old, but certainly, if that was the case, things could become a bit... awkward.

Or she was just worried about the war and Eris was reading too much into it? Veronica didn't seem to mind it, so it was likely the second case—

"Oh, huh!" Eris stuttered once asked about her first impression of Squad Four. "Well, I believe that this is a quite a... lively group?" she said in a low voice, wondering if her reply didn't sound too halfhearted.

---

"I'm just glad to be here." Veronica quickly and tactfully took the social baton from Eris to spare her a few moments to think of something. "It's about doing your part, no matter who you're with. Like the squad becomes a family..." Her smile waivered with a flash of guilt and her eyes seemed to stare off at something else, but only for a quick second. "I'm still new here, though. I don't have much experience with these guys like you do. I'm just hoping to keep my head down and make it back home."

---

"Well worry not, I am sure we'll all make it through." She couldn't tell what was bothering the other two, but the sudden, slight shifts in mood made her feel like something was wrong... But since she couldn't put her finger on it, Lilly smiled and tried her best to move the conversation into more cheerful territory. "Our sergeant has done an excellent job of keeping us all safe. You're in good hands with him." ...Except for the time she got impaled... or Kyou had lost his leg... or the Sergeant himself had been shot... or Brenna getting scarred and burned from a tank shell... Lilly knew full well she was lying, though she kept her composure and didn't show it. The two looked a bit uneasy still, and she didn't want to demoralize them.

She nodded to Eris after addressing Miss Callaway's statement. "Yes, it certainly is. The squad has it's fair share of rather unique personalities, but everyone seems to be on good terms with each other. I'm sure you'll get along with them quite well once you get to know them. If not, come talk to me. I'll have a word with them and set them straight." Lilly giggled, the last part of her comment said mostly in jest.

---

"That's a relief," Eris said, after Lily gave them her support. "To say the truth, I was afraid that I would get assigned to a squad with no other women. With what you said and the two of you here, I can feel at ease."

"By the way, while we are talking about the squad." Eris looked around, before fixing her gaze on Lily once more. "What kind of equipment do you, I mean, we have to work with?"

---

Veronica smiled at Lilly.

"So does that make you our big sister of the squad?"

She giggled a bit, wondering if the amount of estrogen in this squad was a good thing or a bad thing.

---

"No, nothing like that... But I do try to mediate and help where ever I can, so if either of you have any concerns about anything, feel free to talk with me about them." Lilly arched an eyebrow, amused at the 'big sister' comment. ...She wasn't that old fashioned was she? She was only 20...

When Eris asked about the squad's equipment, Lilly paused for a moment, trying to remember what everyone was equipped with. "Um... Most of the squad is equipped with first generation rifles or SMGs, though a few have chosen to use Imperial weapons. We use a captured and repainted Imperial APC to move around, and um... I think that's about it?" Lilly shrugged, not particularly pleased about the current state of their equipment. "I think the army proper uses second or third generation weapons, but the militia is only given their old surplus unless we acquire weapons from somewhere else. I wrote a letter to my father describing our situation, so he may provide us with some newer weapons in the future, but the war makes postal service unreliable... I don't know when he'll actually receive it." She sighed and shrugged again. "Oh well, there's nothing we can do about it for now. Bullets kill no matter the gun they're fired from."

The conversation went on for a short while longer, but was suddenly interrupted by Sergeant Harald calling them to attention and the mad scramble that followed. Apparently some officers were inspecting them.

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

Holy shit, well if it isn't @Slypheed! It's been months, mate! Well, I don't think we've transfered Brenna yet if you want to join back in.

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

Heh, no mutiny. We had already decided on the plot ahead of time, I'll just have Harald get pulled away... again...

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

Alright, I messaged Lennon and he said he's going to be too busy to post in the RP for a while. As such, I AM ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL OF THIS THREAD. I'm going to try to post and move us along tomorrow or monday, so for those of you in private conversations, this is your warning to start wrapping them up.

Zark, you'll probably be squad leader for the next section, since I can't play Harald worth a damn. After we get this part over with, I'll either promote someone or bring a new sergeant in for the squad.

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

Evan Carn

"Unfortunately yes... We've only met him twice, but he's been like this both times." Evan shrugged in resignation, before standing up and extending his hand for a handshake, his impressive frame towering over the girl. "At least the ass is not our actual Sergeant. I'm Evan Carn, the squad's driver and mechanic. Nice t'meet ya, Vogel." With the introductions over with, Evan pointed to the group composed of a certain Darcsen, Corporal, and new recruit. "Since you're new, you'll probably want to check in with the Darcsen once he finishes with the kid. He's the sergeant, so he'll know what to do with you. The other guy there is pri-Corporal Hunt." He caught himself, still not used to addressing the man by his new rank. The guy had been promoted at a whirlwind pace compared to their other members. "He's the Darcsen's second in command. Don't get injured near him. His first aid methods are unorthodox at best and damn weird at worst." Evan chuckled at the end of his statement, remembering what had happened back at the coach house with Lilly. Hopefully the boy learned his lesson. "Oh yeah, and don't salute either of them in combat unless you wanna paint a big ol' target on their head for any Imp snipers. ...Heh, well you can do that for the Darcsen, but we sorta need Hunt."

@Bushman501

Valkyria Chronicles: Lions of the South

Evan Carn

"48... 49... 50." Evan finished off the last of his extra pushups and rolled onto his side, letting his aching muscles recover. Phew... He wiped his brow and sat upright. Damn Darcsen... Evan would have been a little more peeved, but he knew that he had practically been asking for the extra exercises with his tardiness. Not that it would change, mind you, but he accepted why he was singled out for extra bullshit PT. The peace and quiet of his rest was soon disturbed with the arrival of a very familiar looking sergeant.

"GOOD MORNING, SQUAD FUCK-KNUCKLES!" ... shit. The vehicle bay sergeant laughed as he spotted some of the more anguished expressions among the squad. "Nah, don't worry, I've got nothing for you to clean at the moment. High command, in all their wisdom, heard that I needed more men and sent a shock trooper to help in my vehicle bay. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, SHOCKTROOPERS ARE FUCKING USELESS!" Taking a step forward, slapping a hand to his chest and waving the other infront of him, he continued his announcement in a loud and grandiose fashion. The man almost looked like he was acting the part of a villian in a bad fantasy novel. "SO, AS A DEMONSTRATION OF MY IMMENSE GENEROSITY, I HAVE TRANSFERED HER TO YOU! MAY YOU MAKE GOOD USE OF HER SKILLS IN BATTLE!" Chuckling to himself and lowering his voice (completely ignoring the fact he had just insulted a good number of the squad), he turned to the new arrival. "Yeah just make yourself at home here I guess, PFC Vogel. The Darcsen will get you all set up once he finishes talking with the other FNG." He turned to leave, but a few steps away, he spun on his heel and snapped his fingers. He had just been reminded of something. "Vogel... That means 'Bird' in an Imperial dialect, right? Your name is now PFC Titmouse. Carry on."

... There was something profoundly wrong with that Sergeant. Evan shook his head in wonder. He was pretty boisterous, but that guy took it to a whole new level. A brief look around the squad, though, found everyone else locked in conversation with each other (after having gotten over the shock of the sergeant's yelling), so he waved to the new girl. "Yo. Welcome to the shit-show, Vogel."

@Bushman501