Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Character Creation and Discussion (second reincarnation)

[AdmiralTigerclaw]

Originally Posted by Keroko

There's a line to be drawn between 'accurate display of military' and 'cool story with girls in skirts fighting magical battles.'

For me, that line is quite clear. So I don't conclude that the TSAB is an incompetent military. I mean, it's only a multi-dimensional organization that governs dozens of worlds (not countries, worlds) and watches over dozens of others that they have no control over. The fact that such an organization is still existing and growing after 150 years shows that they are hardly incompetent.

And when you take over writing my story, you're welcome to govern where the line is drawn.

Until such a time as that happens, I have selected where the line in the sand is for my story.
And my line is to treat visuals and dialogue as what happened with some exaggeration (mainly exaggeration of effects for Rule of Cool) and built some generally accepted background that makes the inconsistencies in the canon details acceptable.

Now I never said the TSAB was incompetent. Just that they don't have any idea how to operate as a true military entity. As a hyperpower, they're unchallenged by a capable equal. So they've never had their problems glaringly pointed out to them via sending their 'troops' through a meat-grinder conflict.
There are decisions and tactics that would be made that made things progressively more unstable, especially with the brains and Jail, that a military running as it should, would have ended.

(Meh, for example, the DOD would have not let Jail run around in some Secret Lab smack in the center of the US. The brains let him do that with Mid-Childa. The DOD would have placed him on a Black Project and the record kept twenty different levels of classified with a budget that 'didn't exist' and he would have been under military oversight the entire time and would NEVER have been able to grow the Numbers in such a way as to brainwash them to follow his CrAzy plan. His work would still be Amoral, but it would have supervision on-site at all times. He'd be in a Mid-Childan Area 51. "Nothing goes on here, there's nothing you need to know about this. Leave immediately civilian.")

Anyway, as I said: When you take over writing my story, feel free to draw the line where you want. Until such a time, I'm responsible for it. Therefor, I need to ensure everything works. I've drawn my line, I've established the reasoning and backstory, I need to ensure it's generally consistent and believable.

[MeisterBabylon]

Originally Posted by LoweGear

I was supposed to write another short regarding another of my OC's... but when two ideas collide, I write both and wait to see which one of them gets completed first. And this short piece won:

Spoiler for Later:

Swirls of violet, dull red and pink waved in slow, gentle motions as far as the eyes can see. The first time her eyes ever gazed into this expanse known as the Dimensional Sea, she had become so enchanted by the infinite symphony of colors that she found herself having trouble breathing, and almost choked herself silly because of it. The latter embarrassment she could live without, but her wonderment at the sight was a memory she intended to cherish – for an Earth-borne like herself, there simply was nothing like it from where she came from. No matter how many times she had seen it since then, the awe still remained, though the enchantment had long been replaced by a calm respect and understanding of the phenomenon in front of her. It was a soothing sight, one of the few that could calm her spirits after a long, hard day. And she was grateful for the chance to be able to see it as much as she liked, right outside the window of her new crew quarters.

“Cisa Bacardi...”

Well, not hers alone, a fact she reminded herself with in blankly uttering her roommate’s name. She had yet to meet the girl, expected to arrive later in the day. While she wasn’t bothered by having to share a room with another person, she did feel a hint of disappointment at the fact; Not out of greed for the room - which was an 8 x 4 meter large space built more like a economy hotel room suite than a military bunk, with individual single beds and their own comfort room – but she did find it easier to keep her thoughts to herself with no one else around. She finished all thoughts on her roommate by wishing for her not to be much a nuisance – she was already anxious enough as it is.

Yes, anxiety. No matter how successful she was at hiding that emotion from others, it was still a very unpleasant feeling.

“Baka...”

Stupid.

She shouldn’t even be feeling this way. How many days had she spent preparing herself for this moment, poring over every crew roster, ship diagrams, written rules and regulations just to familiarize herself into this new assignment; all the hours she spent in meditation, calming her mind and telling herself that this was the inevitable outcome of her choice? Anxiety shouldn’t even be on her mind right now, for she was confident in her choices ahead, and in her ability to handle any problem that might arise today. Where was this feeling coming from?

She scratched her head in frustration.... and her left hand felt the cold, silver ornament attached to her black hair, just above and to the left of her head. She gazed at it through the faint reflection of herself on the plate glass window - It was a small cross, just two bars of unequal length stuck perpendicular to each other. Nothing fancy about it, no added diamond decorations or gold patterns or intricate doodads.

But this cross was the most important thing in her entire world.

It was only three hours ago that she received the ornament, as she recalled herself beside the sliding doors of the shuttle terminal waiting for the next flight to the Interdimensional HQ’s drydock facility...

“I know you don’t like hearts, so I got you a cross... It looks good on you!”

How elated was she at the words she heard from him; How happy she felt as the cross was secured on her hair by such warm, gentle hands...

“It’s not much, but I hope it’s okay...”

“Baka! Of course it’s okay! As long as it’s from you...”

As long as it was from him, from the man who had been her constant companion for the last 4 years, and to whom she had entrusted her entire being to, body and soul, heart and mind. The one she could not bear to let go as she wrapped her arms around him and his arms around her in turn. The one she loved more than anyone else in the universe.

The one she will not meet again in person for the next two years-

*beep*

Her room comm system snapped her back into reality, and her hands waved instinctively to answer it, summoning a translucent holographic display screen with an image of a young green-haired female operator... Marie Kim was it? Her face was familiar from the crew roster, one of the bridge operators here onboard the Exousia.

“Agent Enna, the Captain requests your presence at her office.”

“Will that be all Ensign Kim?”

“That will be all sir.”

“Thank you Ensign, tell her I’ll be on the way. Enna Out.”

Mai Enna sighed as the comm display vanished into thin air. There was something about her new work environment that seemed to prevent her from falling into a reverie like she did, as if her work conspired to prevent her from going into the deep end of her thoughts. Not an unwelcome coincidence in this case, but hoping that such things wouldn’t happen too often in the future – she liked her thoughts just as much as her work.

Once more her hands touched the silver cross on her hair, the one parting gift that Remington Smith gave to her. And in her mind’s eye she could see his apparition by the window in front of her, gently smiling at her like he always did, her last memory of him until the moment her shuttle separated them from each other.

“Remi... “ her lips whispering his pet name with an unmistakably sad lilt, yet with a smile on her face.

“...mata ne.”

Remi... See You Later.

-----

The white door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing Mai Enna, standing proud and clad in the black Enforcer uniform. She took a step inside the office, then saluted a hand by her jet black hair, above the blank, stern gaze of her ruby eyes...

“Agent Mai Enna, reporting for duty-“

... that saw no one behind the desk in front of her.

“E-Rank!”

“Nani?”

Instinctively Mai suddenly turned to the direction of the voice, with her device at the ready...

“Your Future... it is only E-Rank!”

... and ended up with two female hands groping her... future.

Suffice it to say, Mai Enna was not amused.

“Captain... shinde.”

Captain... please die.

Spoiler for Footnote:

For those that might wonder, I'm using the military practice of addressing personnel as "sir", regardless of gender.

I could've sworn that she's Captain Synola Leiser from the Kingdom of Gre-- I mean, Ostia.

[Outlaender]

Originally Posted by AdmiralTigerclaw

We could. *Cackle*

Spoiler for For length:

My excuse in the story to maintain consistency with onscreen presented events without having to dredge up fifty thousand different excuses and technical issues that would hold the consistency of molassas (And I've been operating like this through the entire story), is that they AREN'T militarily trained or skilled in military style thinking in the way combat is conducted... That they are dependant upon their magic to the point where it really is a handicap waiting to be exploited.
And of course, the reasoning I use for this is going back to that big War the Mid-Childan's had that so traumatized them as a culture that they pretty much shunned war and the lessons it taught in fighting to the point that essentially, at best they're PRETENDING to be a military when they lack any any living experience of WAR.

And thus, to a veteran of an actual military conflict (and a successful one at that... I mean viciously successful), the TSAB's got about the effectiveness of an overly well funded collection of SWAT teams. They're good, but they get tunnel vision. They're highly dependant upon their small number of extremely powerful mages, who are in turn, dependant upon their magic to do the job. Even Nanoha is dependant on her magic and he skill with said magic, rather than with natural tactical planning. (Though admittedly, as an Ace, she's still got some good tactical moves.)

She got backstabbed by a cloaking type IV drone. The 'lesson' she learned from that was not to push herself so hard or she might end up failing to react in time to an ambush.

The lesson she didn't seem to catch on to is actually a Murphy's Law of Combat.
#19: "When you've secured the area, don't forget to tell the enemy."

Or in this case: Don't stand around on the ground in hostile territory, in the open, acting like you own the place just because it 'looks' safe. Especially when you can fly (And the type IVs can't), especially when you're all but alone, and especially when it seems all too easy.

Also applicable:
#13: "If your attack is going well, then it's an ambush."
#15: "Anything you do can get you shot, including nothing. "

So yeah, even Nanoha fell victim to the 'Dependancy on Magic' trap in my mind, and it almost killed her. And when she passed her lesson along, it wasn't her tactical mistake she associated with the the event and subsiquently pointed out, it was the mistake on how she was treating her body. She didn't teach Tia about the mistake she made that allowed the Type IV to get close enough to make it a ground ambush, she taught about how she wasn't fast enough to get away.

And obviously mages seem to be a little dense in the Murphy's Law respect because VITA ironicly makes a similar mistake smashing her way through the cradle. I don't know, you guys might consider it an honest mistake. But making it such a relevant point to think about just seems to me like even though she was the one to come to the rescue the first time around, the lesson just didn't stick. So I don't think it got effectively taught to anyone the way it should have.

So long story short, mages are good, but are too dependant on magic, and just don't have the experience to think like a soldier. (Who operate under the premise that everything is about to go horribly wrong, just give it a second...) And thusly, lacking that experience and line of thinking, make ponderously grevous errors.

....

WHEEE! I think too much...

Generally, most fics I've read, and the much of the discussions in the Nanoha threads have been view the TSAB as a paramilitary organization- most of the work they're doing (well, that we'Ve learned of from the series and the soundstages is peacekeeping and police work. I believe that in part was part Regius's complaint, that the ground forces, who would be expected to bear the brunt of serious, large scale action, were being marginalized. With all the history of worlds and entire dimensions wrecked by high level magic and technology(weaponry), the fact the TSAB basically was created to save Interdimensional magical civilazation, there would be a distinct reluctance to use such scorched earth tactics as the US miliatary employs in combat. In fact, I could see people advocating a stronger "militarization" of the TSAB being sidelined, or ignored as warmongers.

I don't think the tactical training of police forces, even such as SWAT, can be really compared to combat training, because in one reduction of casualities and damage for all sides (especially "collateral damage") is part of the doctrine, and enforcement (public safety) is the goal. For the military, reduction of casualties and damage is important basically only for ones own side, modified by what ever rules of engagement are in effect. Magic is being used by the TSAB precisely because it can be controlled much more strictly, than, say, demolishing a building with a volley of .50 cal. , or 105mm shells.

Turning the TSAB into the US military, can't really be the goal, because the military makes a poor police force (shoot first, don't ask questions). It would become necessary to make a clear distinction then, between true military units, and "civil defense" (police, distsaster relief, etc), something I doubt the TSAB society is prepared to do, with the cultural trauma of the Belkan War still strong.

That said, I think your theme of the TSAB _needing_ better tactical training a viable one. Tricky though to implement, without making our "White Devil" ace instructor look like an idiot.

[MeisterBabylon]

It's all this discrepencies that feed reason that there is a proper interdimensional military that is NOT within the Bureau, and serves and is all the components of a proper functional army. The Bureau handled anything within Ordered Space, while the other handled those from without. How are both operated and ruled in specifics is a bloody mess to work out, but stories have to be written first.

Like how sketchy at best and contradictory at worse canon is about this Utopian multiverse of Nanoha, I believe we can afford some slack and not get so tied up with specifics and worrying about extremes. It might need a little patching so that it works, but since it works generally, so it works.

After all, "to make a person's fantasy, everything is possible by magical girls," Zelretch the White Wanderer once said. No truer words have been spoken about this, be it by Man or Device.

About that other organization... SaintX and I call the Galactic Defense Initiative. Name's a historical leftover when it was still intradimensional.

[AdmiralTigerclaw]

Originally Posted by Outlaender

Generally, most fics I've read, and the much of the discussions in the Nanoha threads have been view the TSAB as a paramilitary organization- most of the work they're doing (well, that we'Ve learned of from the series and the soundstages is peacekeeping and police work. I believe that in part was part Regius's complaint, that the ground forces, who would be expected to bear the brunt of serious, large scale action, were being marginalized. With all the history of worlds and entire dimensions wrecked by high level magic and technology(weaponry), the fact the TSAB basically was created to save Interdimensional magical civilazation, there would be a distinct reluctance to use such scorched earth tactics as the US miliatary employs in combat. In fact, I could see people advocating a stronger "militarization" of the TSAB being sidelined, or ignored as warmongers.

I don't think the tactical training of police forces, even such as SWAT, can be really compared to combat training, because in one reduction of casualities and damage for all sides (especially "collateral damage") is part of the doctrine, and enforcement (public safety) is the goal. For the military, reduction of casualties and damage is important basically only for ones own side, modified by what ever rules of engagement are in effect. Magic is being used by the TSAB precisely because it can be controlled much more strictly, than, say, demolishing a building with a volley of .50 cal. , or 105mm shells.

Turning the TSAB into the US military, can't really be the goal, because the military makes a poor police force (shoot first, don't ask questions). It would become necessary to make a clear distinction then, between true military units, and "civil defense" (police, distsaster relief, etc), something I doubt the TSAB society is prepared to do, with the cultural trauma of the Belkan War still strong.

That said, I think your theme of the TSAB _needing_ better tactical training a viable one. Tricky though to implement, without making our "White Devil" ace instructor look like an idiot.

Which is a delicate act, and why I'm really trying to work on this issue. There ARE grevous tactical errors made even by the Ace of Aces. Though she makes up for it in other ways.

But these rediculous tactical and strategic issues are so deep that someone with experience is bound to spot him.

I mean, looking from the perspective of Roland the Character, the fact that Mid-Childa didn't even know something as *BIG* as the cradle was on their HOMEWORLD, and that Jail managed to raise the thing, would classify as a blunder of the level that someone would seriously start pushing for a restructuring.

Arguably, the Brains had their spinal cords dipped in that, but to allow a Mad Scientist access to resources like he had, without a real method of Oversight is just asking to get, pardon the paralelle, stabbed in the back.

Essentially, Jail pretended to be on a leash when he was off Doing His Own Thing long before then. His was setting up shop on random worlds, moving all over the place, and evading the 'police forces' (with help) while happily accepting free support from (a begrudging) Regius.

The Brains, SHOULD have dragged someone in, stuck Scagletti in a lab that was 'off the record' black project secret, and let him do his Armoral Work some place where they could actually KEEP him under their thumb and have several dozen people looking over his shoulder constantly who's mere pressence alone would have kept his ambitions in check. The Numbers wouldn't have been brainwashed into thinking the Doc's plan was so wonderful had they been in the pressence of a base full of support staffers. Without them, and hoards of drones, he wouldn't have been able to run Amok.

So again, to a soldier like Roland: The fact that JAIL SCAGLETTI was in a position to pull what he did, TO START WITH, was a complete failure of the Administration as a whole.

And I would say, even towards the end, when Regius knew Jail was out of his control, that he knew with a certain finality that he had failed, and that he would burn for it. (Had Due not killed him first.)
In a way, being killed was a Mercy to him, as post incident would have seen people do what the media does today... utterly TEAR HIM APART.

Vicious, Vicious media.

[arkhangelsk]

The only problem with that whole idea is perhaps the simple fact that Scarlietti doesn't like working in such environments.

REAL development work is such that even if you HAVE an uber-genius, you really would require a support staff, especially as things start going from concept into detailed design and engineering - one person cannot rationally do it.

However, SoD seems to force us to accept Scarlietti as such a "one-man army". As far as anyone could tell, he conceived of the Numbers and Artficial Mages, he engineered them ... sometimes he seems to let other people in onto some of his work and see what they can come up with in their own labs, but he's moving independently at the same time. (Of course, such uber-geniuses are a trope for shows. Sometimes, there is a support staff or at least there's no reason there isn't a massive support staff. But this time said "support staff" is a bit hard to find).

Granting such a person could exist, his ability is out of norm. Such a person can only be forced to a certain extent to deal with conditions he doesn't like. He'll give minimal performance, and you can't do a thing about it because 1) Even his minimum is too valuable for you and 2) you don't really know what to expect so cannot really accuse him for not doing his utmost anyway.

Such a person can only be cajoled into giving his best.

If we grant a shred of intelligence to the TSABbies, the scheme they finally worked out with Scarlietti, or even the idea of relying on one single man for any of their developmental projects, is a highly undesirable situation. It would seem likely that ordinary developmental techniques weren't making much progress (even putting Scarlietti in them).

They should have played it safe? Maybe. But their strategic situation is observably hanging by rather thin threads even from our restricted (apparently rose-tinted) viewpoint. So to fix their strategic problems the High Council took a strategic gamble, which bombed.

[NorthernFallout]

And I thought my OC cast was done. My head had other intentions..

Spoiler for A meeting:

If you told me to talk about myself, I would probably tell you to go fuck yourself. I won’t just spontaneously talk about my closest emotions or what my hobbies are like the rest of the humans floating around in this world. You have to give it more than that.
Of course, this is a pretty special occasion I guess. Perhaps, just this once I’ll let you into it.

Voer Herzel is my name and I’m a Criminal Investigator within the Cancri International Security Forces. Sounds kind of nice doesn’t it?
Let me tell you, it isn’t. I might like my job, but that’s not because of my colleagues or the benefits. I might be 27 but my life outside work is pretty dull. The only thing keeping my brain stimulated is “solving crimes” as some would put it. People call that crazy.

‘How can you find it interesting to look at corpses?’
‘You don’t get enough time for yourself.’
‘Take a day off or two.’
‘How can you like that? You are weird.’

They can ramble on all they want and continue their boring little lives. At least I’m doing something to help those who scream in silence and cannot speak no more. What motivates me is just that. That is why I do what I do.

I actually find it surprising I have someone near to me. Almost above the magic thirty, pessimistic, a realist and living for my work…although maybe it isn’t surprising after all. My boyfriend is the same as me when I think about it. We both are as pessimistic and realistic. Maybe that’s why we fit together. We love each other and realize no one else would love us. Maybe. I’m not sure, but I would like to think so.

Other people, yeah, I can deal with them in a normal way, but it’s just a mask. I don’t exactly hate them, but they annoy me. Unfortunately, I can’t get a long way in this world if I act in real life as I do in my head. Well, most of the time anyway. When there is something I need I’ll act accordingly. If not, I’ll try to behave so you don’t run away.

There is something else I have to say before we part. I don’t like magic. At all.
When people hear that, they give me weird looks as if I’m from another planet. Maybe I am, considering I live in a society that gorges itself on technology and magic. I don’t really know myself why I don’t like magic.
Maybe it’s because I can’t use magic and I feel envy towards those that can. A plausible argument, but one I would rather not think off. I’m better off with my gun anyway, pulling the trigger is faster than chanting some weird spell that burst out in purple, happy colors.

Alright, seems like my time is up with you. I’ll be at my office, ciao.

Spoiler for "Just a pic from work, don't worship it":

[Comartemis]

*Comartemis got legendary item: Zankantou!*

*Comartemis uses Great Cleave on milotaku mob!*

We have a Military thread for stuff like this, guys. Use it.

*Comartemis rides off into the sunset*

[NorthernFallout]

I forgot I had this laying around on the HDD.

Spoiler for LOST:

A land where no human had came out sane. An area filled of mysterious forces, hidden from outsiders. Those who trespassed never saw the world they had once known again. Either they succumbed to the land, or were driven insane by the powers floating around.

Those who had not succumbed and escaped with their life still close to their souls had told stories of strange creatures roaming the land, powerful beasts that instilled them with a freezing horror. Some had been brutally killed by these monsters; others had managed to kill them. There were a lot of these creatures they had said and they tried to stop others to venture into the lands.

New expeditions were sent out, but soon enough people realized it was for nothing. More people died or came back insane, and so they decided to stop venturing into the area. The coast of the land soon became void of life as the expedition parties returned to the mainland and their respective nations. They named it after its nature, implying that no one set their foot there again, else they wanted to be consumed by it.

The Forbidden Nation, or just The Zone as a few call it, fell into the shadows and was only told in legends to scare small children. Soon enough people forgot about the land to the north and didn’t bother to go there at all.
That is, until the spacecraft known as the Himalaya crashed and Cancri entered a new era. While the technology and the four nations flourished, some began to think about going north again, into the Zone, to find out whatever was hidden inside with the help of devices and more properly trained soldiers. It was discussed for a long while before a decision was made to send another expedition up north.

The operation was on a small scale and they left the mainland on a sunny Monday morning. They travelled by boat, on a large research vessel named Maria that was supposed to transport them over the rough Lobrok’s Sea and help them reach the land on the other side.
The trip took only a few hours, the distance being not that much of a challenge. The sky was cloud-free all day long and allowed them to safely reach the opposing shore. There they unloaded their equipment, said goodbye to the ship’s crew that would stay behind to wait for them until their return, and ventured across the border to the Forbidden Nation.

What they had expected to encounter after a few hours of travelling didn’t come. The forest was thick and snow covered the entirety of it. It was white, soft and calm where they walked, without as much as a sound. Some of them found that strange, as not even a single bird made a noise in the forest. No singing, no animal rushing to cover in fear, no wind blowing. It was all still and silent.
They eventually came upon a few ruins very similar to those they had seen in pictures that had survived other expeditions. They investigated them thoroughly but didn’t find anything worthy to look into more closely and so they moved further into the lands.

The radio and satellite communications devices they had brought with them still functioned properly but the signal was becoming weaker the further they went. They kept one of the soldiers talking at all times with the Maria’s crew to see when it would break.
After a few minutes of talking, the first horrifying event occurred. It was about time, since they had been undisturbed for so long.

It wasn’t a monster or mysterious creature that had caused it, as the stories had told, but one of the twelve members of the party had to sacrifice his life to something the others couldn’t figure out what it was.
When they had walked through a particularly thick part of the forest, that unlucky soldier had gone off far to the side to try and find another, easier way through. While the others kept an eye on him they saw how he suddenly froze in the middle of a step. They shouted at him, asking what he was doing but he didn’t respond. His eyes were full of fear.
Then his body started to levitate over the ground. The other soldiers stood wide-eyed and couldn’t believe what they saw. The soldier floated further up into the air until he began to spin with an increasing speed. He screamed at the top of his lungs as the gravitational forces suddenly reverted and his body exploded in a red cloud.
Nothing was left where he had walked and the rest of the party stood silent in shock. Eventually they moved on, coerced by their leader. While they had lost a comrade, they couldn’t stop this far in.

Their march continued for hours. Now and then new things happened that caused one of the party members to lose their life. Some was burnt to death by strange electrifying anomalies; others were suggested to have been poisoned by long, slender plant-like things hanging from the trees. Each death affected the party tremendously, but they knew they had to move on. Their comrades’ life had been for nothing if they returned.

Then they finally reached another building, one they had never seen or heard about. It looked like an abandoned bunker, its rounded roof sticking out of the ground with a heavy door sunk into the ground next to it. The few that were left, a total of four soldiers, gathered around it and managed to open it. They one by one entered the darkness to investigate what was inside.

Hours passed outside the bunker. It was still as silent and peaceful as it had been when they first arrived, no noise travelling through the forest. The sky was cloudy, as it always was over the Zone, caused by some strange natural phenomena no researcher had ever managed to figure out. If it was due to the atmosphere of Cancri, the location of the Zone or just this particular weather system, no one knew. It was always, without falter, cloudy.

A noise suddenly broke the silence. One of the soldiers, a woman, came running out of the bunker, screaming with horror. She was drenched in blood and made red spots in the snow where she ran. She continued to scream as she ran in the wrong direction, only venturing deeper into the Zone. What awaited her there no one knew, not even herself. All she could think of was to get away from the bunker. She entered the thicker parts of the forest again and disappeared.

The crew of the Maria, when they had waited for two days, finally unanchored and travelled home to the mainland. What had happened to the expedition party they didn’t know. The whole operation was deemed a failure and the relatives of those that had disappeared were notified. Funerals were had and tears were shed.
From that day onward no one ventured to the Forbidden Nation again. It has now been several years since anyone set their foot there. However, once again new forces are gathering, new motivation getting stronger.

The Zone will soon have new visitors.

[Saint X]

something for ghaz

a bit rushed thought i think..

Spoiler for The next day:

"And in today's weather, fair skies for the whole day over the northwestern region, including the capital..." The radio called out as a white sports car ran its course along a highway.

It belonged to Jun Shiina, a Navy Lieutenant and second in command to an elite group within the Navy's Second Fleet. But right now, he was a civilian, on leave and on route to fetch his elder sister, who was working as a guard at a research con storage base some distance from where he was at the moment. It was a long time since he saw her and his little nephew- was if a year or probably a couple of years. But if things went his way, he would not be even here- but his brother in law, his direct superior and buddy, as well as the other higher superiors all, according to him, contrived to bring him into this situation. In short, he was asked by his brother in law to pay them a visit and that everyone above him saw this as a chance to make him file a leave. But then, doing something else other than complete missions, file paperwork, train members and learning the intricacy of command was a welcome thing.

He felt the power of his car's engine as he stepped on the accelerator pedal, increasing his travel speed to match the rather loose traffic at the moment. Half an hour later, he left the free space of the highway and into the chaos that is surface traffic. He only had been here once, and it was a couple of years ago, when he helped his sister's family move into their new home- a day after he was made lieutenant- but then it was a year ago when he was notified that they were moving to another house in another part of the city. Only a poorly drawn map was his guide towards his destination. He reined in the car's power, allowing it's good handling to be the major factor in this stretch of his travel- he needed it as some of the roads were wet from a recent pass of the sweeper. Amazingly, he managed to find the house, only to find it locked with a note posted on the door- addressed to him.

"Jun, If you see this, I'm at the base working and Renton is at daycare. Go meet me there. Love, Ai." was the content of the note.

Breathing a sigh, Jun returned to the car and went on his way. There was only one base in the immediate vicinity- a research con storage facility whose work- well like almost all research facilities, had something that the general public and common enlisted will never know- unless it was declassified. He never been to facilities outside of the base before so he was a bit nervous how a Minor Navy Officer like him be allowed entry- but then they probably have some common areas that allow such open interaction. But as he neared the area of the base, traffic became less congested, but the number of bureau ambulances and morgue service vehicles passing by him became apparent- something big happened. He was then stopped by a roadblock, quickly approached by a couple of guards asking for him to leave.

"Jun Shiina, Investigator, Second Fleet." He replied, taking out his identification. "I just happened to pass by."

The guards, amazingly, yielded to him, a move that he did not expect- though he used his position to muscle into several bases before. He straddled over the ribbon and carefully walked into the base, where more death and destruction was being presented like wallpaper from an overly decorated house. He was being careful not to step on or touch anything that came from a once living person- though a couple of times he had to close the eyes of those who died with their eyes open without touching them- it was a hard feat considering he can't project his magic that carefully. After a long an arduous walk, he finally reached the Main Hall, were technicians from Scene of crime operations (SOCO) were busy processing the scene.

"My my, if it isn't Shiina." The most senior person in the group saw and greeted him, a familiar face from his days before he was transferred into the Navy. "You're not supposed to be here, even in a normal day."

"Captain Arand. If you have to blame someone blame the ones at the roadblock." was the greeting and reply. "What exactly happened here."

The Captain approached him and began to whisper.

"We're not supposed to tell anyone, but something was stolen here. We don't know exactly what but, it's probably of high importance. We are just processing the scene."

"I see." came the reply back to normal volume. "I originally wanted to look for my sister, since I'm picking her and her son to meet up with my brother in law."

"Oh, Ai. I've never seen her here among the people here that's for sure. I'll tell you if I found her. Now leave."

"That's a relief... But I'd like to stay and he-"

"Chief..." came a technician. "We found some survivors..."

A couple of floors down, Arand, Jun and the technician were standing before a set of large blast doors, while the other technicians were busy with the door's panel and hinges.

"Situation?"

"It's no good. the power supply to this door has been cut off and we're having a hard time doing a jury-rig on the circuits. The door itself is massive and the the whole room is made out of high grade magically harmonic armor plate- we're going to basically open a box inside a powerful AM Field."

The technician's reply stunned Arand.

"How the heck are we supposed to open what is basically a box immersed in AMF if the only tool we have is a magical cutter?! What kind of room is this anyway?!" were the questions that came from him.

"According to the maps they gave us, its an attack shelter of some sort. But since this facility is top-secret, we are not sure of what is inside."

"This is the problem when SOCO Agents work in Top-secret labs- we don't even know what this room is and that and whatever- not to mention that after we open a room we have to let them pass in first to get "their things". Do we have any other cutting tools?"

"Our saws already ran out of blades trying to open just one hinge. We already called for our thermal lances and those will arrive in about five minutes."

"That's taking too long- we're supposed to be done with the scene in about 3 hours and we only got it half done. Are you even sure that there are people there?"

"Yes Captain." Came the technician's reply before he was given a screen to look at. "We have five people inside, two of them mages. We managed to get word to them before the harmonics completely blocked out communications."

As the two were talking, Jun was taking his phone out of his pocket. It was ringing- the caller was none other than his sister.

"Hel-"

"Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun~" came the other line. "I'm so glad that you picked up!"

The call interrupts work in the immidiate area.

"Of course!" Arand thought as the conversation continued. "Just because it's AMF does not mean it can block cellular signals. And with that, I sometimes wonder why we have to almost rely on magic if a mere cellphone can do it hands down- wait it does not have any hands."

"Where are you sis?!" then came the question.

"I'm in attack shelter 3..." came the reply, making the team look the the doors-they were right before them. "The power went out so that's why we can't open the door or even see anything. we have air that's for sure."

"This is Captain Arand from SOCO." The Captain's voice suddenly interrupted. "We're trying to get you out of there, but I need a situation over there."

"We managed to get in here as the intruders attacked. We only have slight bruising though Lt. Cameiro here is still out cold. We're okay for now but we had nothing to eat since last night."

"12 hours... okay. We'll be cutting thru the door within a few minutes. Stay calm as always and stay-"

A sudden crash and explosion alerted the floor.

"What was that?!"

"Captain, this is Argess. The elevator cable snapped and it went down- taking the thermal lance equipment with it!"

"This is what happens when SOCO is forced by said top-secret group to hustle- noting ever gets checked for integrity!" Arand mumbled and then asked. "Do we have spares?"

"We're calling ThermEX right now to see if we can pull out-"

"This is madness!"

As Captain Arand began to boil over, Jun was carefully looking at the door. After a few moments, he took out a card- which was infact his device on standby.

[M.S.B.S. Ver. 8.08 Standing By]

"Hey Shiina, what are you going to do? You know that door will just soak up any magic you try on it..."

"I know... but then again I'm no longer an ordinary mage. Calliana..."

[Get Ready]

And the card turned into a rather huge sword, that if looked at another angle could also be a rifle. The amazing part is that he was holding it like a rifle, with one hand- but not for long as he cradled it on his other hand- totally like a rifle. He then raised the sword again and prepared himself for the move.

[Blitz Crystal]

An energy blade then emerged from the "blade" of the device. It was, like most energy-bladed devices, made of magical energy, but it had a slight difference- it looked like it was a piece of crystal. He then aimed the tip towards the blast door and lunged.

[Crystal Chaser]

He first stabbed the door with the tip of his weapon, followed by a quick move to aim the tip towards the floor before the door. He then fully stabbed the floor, sending a crystallizing wave on the door and surrounding area.

[Firing]

He then aimed the weapon at the hinges and shot each one, blowing a hole in each. After a moment, he slung his weapon on his shoulder and went to the door- which he quicky punched.

"Whoa..." some of the technicians could only gasp as the door that was able to resist magic was turned into dust in just a matter of moments.

And out of the dust...

"Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun~" the voice of his sister came from the inside, and moments later, she had glomped him and rubbing her cheek on him like some cat.

"Sister!!! Don't do that... it's embarassing!"

Half an hour later, we find Jun outside, making a call towards his superiors back at base.

"Bureau Kagami Base, this is Kaly speaking, how can we help you?" one of the operators answered the line.

"This is Lieutenant Jun Shiina, ID MZ-03544."

"Lieutenant Shiina, welcome. Where can I connect you today?"

"Connect me to Commander Mertens please."

"Sorry sir, he and the Major are in a meeting the Admiral Scrya at the moment."

"This is an urgent matter, can you do something?!"

"Okay, please hold."

As he tried to gain contact, the said two people, Commander Mertens and his Major were in a meeting with Admiral Scrya, thier direct commander. They were discussing with her about thier last mission. But then an interruption.

"Admiral Scrya, Major, Commander Mertens... Lt. Shiina wants to talk to you."

"For what reason?" the admiral asked. "I supposed he was informed that we are in a meeting right now."

"But..." came in Jun's voice, evoking a gasp from the operator- it seems instead of putting him on hold, she connected the lines into a 3-way conversation. "This is an urgent matter..."

"Urgent?"

After Shiina told them...

"I never knew a research facility existed in that area. I suspect that it's from one of those Army powered suit projects. How's your sister?"

"She fine and undergoing debriefing. She and her son will come with me to meet Uesugi sometime today."

"Okay... here are your orders. Unless they authority allows you to investigate, you are not allowed to do so. Quickly reunite your sister and her husband and quickly proceed here without delay, understand?" The Admiral then ordered.

"But..."

"No ifs no buts... get it done and quick!"

"Yes 'mam." was the disheartened reply- there is no use arguiing with the "Gray Admiral".

Moments after Jun signed off...

"How many investigators do you have?"

"About seven, Shiina included." The Major replied. "For what purpose?"

"Nothing for now... I just hope this does not spread..."

Enjoy.

====

And on another note.

Another device vectorwork

Spoiler for TF-14B/C-XN Alliona:

Spoiler for Normal/Sword Form:

Spoiler for Bow Form : Caution Size:

[Tempy]

Four days of nothing? That's a damn shame.

So here's something.

Spoiler for Crisis:

How quickly negotiations had broken down, diplomatic ties severed and arms brought to bear.
Unfortunately for the mages of the Time Space Administration Bureau, their opponent was not
easily defeated. Unlike the magic-enhanced forces of the Bureau, their foe used a simpler, though
more brutal weapons. Firearms, a gun in every able soldier’s hands, spewing thousands of bullets;
armored battalions and aerial craft that shook the earth and burned the skies; gigantic ships, upon
the sea and underneath, the full might of the civilization’s army was brought to bear. At first, the
mages dominated, their magical abilities granting them unmatched flexibility and power.

Yet they had adapted. What they could not do, they countered. Anti-mage bullets, shieldbreaker
rounds, mass-area-effect weapons, anything that could grant them any sort of edge against the
Bureau forces. What they lacked in magic, they made up for in stubbornness and frightening
adaptability.

They were evenly matched, Bureau and opposing force, neither gaining the advantage. The victor
would find no spoils, only the fallen; they would only earn the right to live another day.

No pride, no glory, no fame would be gained from this conflict, this shameful, unwanted clash.

This… Unsung War.

-------------------------------------------

What…

What happened?

A strange pain, dull yet sharp. Breathing was difficult. Why was it hard to move?

The world was dizzying, muffled, as if far away or buried.

All around… shouting, screaming, and explosions. There was… there is a conflict going on.

The enemy. Who was the enemy?

Wait. Who was that…? The shouting… she’s shouting over the din of combat.

That voice… Lady Keroko? She’s fighting hard. Everyone is fighting hard…

What the hell happened? The dull ache was incredibly painful, yet as distant as the chaos
surrounding him. Had he still had his eyes, his world would’ve been a swirling blur of dulled colors
with brilliant lances of light crisscrossing the skies. He tried to move, tried to sit up, but his body
refused.

Get up, dammit. There is a war going on.

Yes… A war. No victor would rise, only the suffering of countless men and women. They were
fighting… distantly? Closely?

Where were they?

Where was he?

No, that didn’t matter. They were still fighting. He had to keep fighting.

Get up. Get up! Blind, he may be, but a soldier he was still. Get up and face the enemy…!

A sudden, jarring weight. Something was on top of him! Another person, warm but unmoving.
Push it off, move it away, and get up…?

Weakened, trembling hands caressed his cheek. Soft, long hair, silken to the touch but also slick
with blood. Whispers in his ear with shallow breaths. Familiar… Keroko? It was Keroko! But
she was injured? She was fine! She couldn’t possibly be hurt that badly

Why won’t you move? Get up? Please? Show that you’re all right. Only a scratch, or just a flesh
wound, right? Why won’t you get up? The others, they still need you, your soldiers need you.
You are just resting, right?

Please be okay…?

Her hand fell away. Limp.

Keroko? Keroko?! You… you can’t…

No. No! Medic! Where the hell is the medic! W-what the hell was wrong with his voice? She
was down – Keroko was down! Medic!

Where… where is the medic?! The enemy, where was the enemy?

God damn it. Damn it no! They were coming – the enemy was coming!

If they won, what then? Execution? Enslavement? No, no no no! This cannot happen!

The enemy… the enemy cannot be allowed victory.

They must be stopped.

Avenge the fallen. Avenge her. With all his strength. With all his soul!

Stop them. Crush them. Defeat them. Destroy them. Kill them

They’re coming out in droves, like cockroaches.

Kill them all.

Revel! Murder them all in fantastic killing spree.

No. A wonderful, insane massacre.

Slaughter.

The seals tore away like paper.

-------------------------------------------

The first thing Noland heard was the rhythmic beeping of an electrocardiogram, pulsing in-sync
with his own heartbeat. A hospital? What had happened to him? The last thing he remembered…
argh. What a terrible, pounding headache. Every time he tried to recall those memories, his mind
would explode in throbbing agony.

An incident. A conflict. Something had happened, and an incredible battle was waged. But
anything after that, a blur and terrible, mind-jarring pain.

He tried to move, only to find it incredibly painful to do so Not only his thoughts, but his body
ached horribly as well, inciting a low groan from the knight.

A gasp. A shuffling of clothes. Someone was here with him.

“Hey,” the word was enough to identify his guest.

“Lady Keroko,” he croaked in greeting, his throat impossibly dry. “I am very glad that you are
well.”

“You’re worse off. When medics finally picked you up, your body was ripped up a hundred
ways to hell. It’s a miracle you survived.”

“Ah. I see…” Noland trailed off. Dammit, what the hell had happened?!

“Do you even know how you got here?”

“I… no. I cannot remember anything past the initial deployment.”

She sighed, reluctant to continue.

“Ten minutes into the operation, you… An enemy sniper managed to hit you with a shieldbreaker
round. It must have struck a vital, because you collapsed immediately.”

Ah, so that’s why his chest hurt like hell.

“Your squad was pinned down, and my squad came in to assist. We just had to hold the line for
a little longer, just enough for the main reinforcements to arrive. We had hoped then to get you to
a medic. But… plans never go the way they’re supposed to, do they?

“Our combined squads were almost overrun, the anti-mage rounds brutally effective against us.
I was wounded. Then…”

Keroko’s voice dropped to a whisper, one that Noland had to strain to hear. But… did he really
want to? “You went berserk.”

Noland’s heartrate spiked, mirrored by the EKG and the slow grimace that spread across his
face. By the Kaiser, no! How could… how could he lose control like that?!

“In that state, you managed to push back the opposing forces. For a while, everyone was
cheering for you. I couldn’t believe it either, you know? One guy, making the biggest difference
in the battle… you’re a strong guy, Reiniger. I don’t think anyone can match you in brute force.
By the time reinforcements arrived, you were as big a celebrity as any of us,” Keroko tried to
chuckle, but it came out weak and uncertain.

Noland was not one to miss something so obvious, nor did he believe that everything had
transpired so smoothly. And Lady Keroko, she sounded so insecure. Despite the growing dread,
he pushed onwards. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

A pause. “Yeah. After defeating the enemy, you… without an obvious opponent, you turned on
us. The strength that everyone was cheering for suddenly struck back at them. By the time
someone managed to subdue you, you had neutralized over half of the Bureau forces and
incapacitated even more. It… it’s not looking good for you.”

The knight’s face showed no emotion, but the long, shuddering sigh he released betrayed his
sorrow. Suddenly, he seemed so much weaker, pallid and tired.

“More innocent blood upon my wretched soul; even in the future, I can find no peace. Maybe
my existence truly is cursed…”

Finally feeling a little stronger, the knight tried to sit up. What he found instead were several
bands that not only held his body down, but every limb.

“Restraints,” he observed.

“They’re… security precautions. Orders from the top – they don’t want to take any risks. This
room is under heavy guard, and I don’t even know what’s laying in wait outside. I had to beg
them to let me stay in the room with you, waiting for you to awaken.”

“How long was I out?”

“Three days.”

“I see… Thank you, Lady Keroko.”

“I have another purpose here, other than to watch over you. The Bureau has already determined
your sentencing, and I have to inform you of this. I’m sorry.”

The shuffle of movement. Keroko stood.

“Noland Reiniger. The Time-Space Administration Bureau has recognized you as a Class SSS
threat to Ordered Space. Upon review of the incident, it has been decided that you are
uncontrollable and too volatile to remain in Ordered Space. As such, you are hereby sentenced
to immediate incarceration in a cryostasis prison. This is a life sentence.


“You will be kept under watch until you’ve healed, then be transferred to an undisclosed location
until the stasis device is prepared. No visitors will be allowed, and communication will be strictly
limited. Do you understand?”

“…Yes.”

“Very well, then.”

Shuffling. The dull click of boots walking across the floor.

“Wait.”

She paused.

“Did I…” he hesitated, not wanting to say any more. “Did I… you… was anyone else injured?”

There was a hidden query behind those words. Had he harmed her?

The redhead declined to speak for a moment, every passing moment serving only to spurn the
growing despair in Noland. The silence was absolutely suffocating.

Finally, a faint whisper:

“No.”

With a muted clatter, the door closed.

Noland did not feel anyone else in the room with him.

Alone, once again. Alone and cold.

-------------------------------------------

Outside the door, Keroko slumped tiredly against the wall. Idly, a hand came up to gently touch
her bandaged neck, still sensitive from the severe bruising. No, she couldn’t bear to tell him the
complete truth. If Noland ever found out, he would be completely ruined. For once, Keroko
was glad that her friend was blind, lest he see the bandages that covered much of her body. How
fortunate it was that her voice managed to recover in time, though the rest of her body still ached.

The memory of that horrid incident was still fresh in her memory, the elation of victory mixed with
the shock and awe of the chaos that followed. Maybe she was fortunate to only come out with
relatively minor injuries.

That terrifying strength, a black and crimson gauntlet grabbing her by the neck and lifting her a
clear three feet into the air. Those furious, burning red eyes, so full of rage and hate. They bore
into her own, peering into her soul. She couldn’t breath, gasping futilely against the Lunatic’s
adamantine grip. Her consciousness was fading, hazy darkness creeping into her vision. One
errant twitch would have crushed her throat; a mere tremble could have popped her head right off.

Her death was so frighteningly real, so close that she nearly accepted her end. Was it luck? Or
maybe, for that moment, Noland had awakened. At the brink of collapse, she was abruptly
released, and by the time she recovered enough to take stock of the situation, Noland was
howling mad, grasping his helmet frantically as he convulsed. With every scream, he shuddered,
as if fighting within himself. Just before his collapse, Noland made known to the world his fury.

In that moment, he stood tall, head thrown back and stance out wide. The Mad Knight roared
to the sky his defiance, his rage and his sorrow.

In that moment, Keroko thought he was magnificent.

But now…

To see him, lying there, a broken man; a far cry from his usual calm, confident, and polite self.
No longer a proud, strong knight, nor a mad, unstoppable fury. Now he was… shattered.

Such a sight felt so wrong.

And to think, her last memory of him, possibly ever, would be that beaten state. It nearly brought
her to tears.

She looked down at her hand, specks of dried blood still evident under her nails and staining her
skin. This blood… wasn’t hers. Noland, he bled for her, just as she did for him. Would he ever
know? Heh, knowing him, he probably already did.

Her hand suddenly clenched into a fist, straining the tired muscles in her forearm, but she didn’t
care.

Cryostasis. God damn it, not even Jail got that sort of sentence! Precia, too, if she was captured
alive, would’ve gotten a completely different punishment. The mage could not even begin to
remember a single precedent case that involved the use of cryostasis as punishment. It was a
damn death sentence—no, a death sentence would be a mercy. To be forever entombed in a
frozen sarcophagus, neither dead nor alive, sleeping eternally without a dream… No one
deserved that. Hayate didn’t, and they managed to save her from that fate. But Noland? How
could they save a convicted man? There was proof! The graves of hundreds upon hundreds,
both friendly and foe, was undeniable. There was evidence of his crimes, but it was not his fault!

He had no control—none of them had control! So why did he alone have to suffer? He, of all
people, did not deserve this. She did not blame him, nor did her friends, but the populace, so full
of fear and uncertainty, could not see beyond his faults. They only saw the Traitor of Belka
reborn, and so they demanded that he be punished.

But it wasn’t fair, dammit!

Why did it have to come to this?

Why couldn’t there be another way?

Noland…

I’m sorry.

-------------------------------------------

End Part One

[Nya~n]

Originally Posted by Tempest Dynasty

Four days of nothing? That's a damn shame.

So here's something.

Spoiler for Crisis:

How quickly negotiations had broken down, diplomatic ties severed and arms brought to bear.
Unfortunately for the mages of the Time Space Administration Bureau, their opponent was not
easily defeated. Unlike the magic-enhanced forces of the Bureau, their foe used a simpler, though
more brutal weapons. Firearms, a gun in every able soldier’s hands, spewing thousands of bullets;
armored battalions and aerial craft that shook the earth and burned the skies; gigantic ships, upon
the sea and underneath, the full might of the civilization’s army was brought to bear. At first, the
mages dominated, their magical abilities granting them unmatched flexibility and power.

Yet they had adapted. What they could not do, they countered. Anti-mage bullets, shieldbreaker
rounds, mass-area-effect weapons, anything that could grant them any sort of edge against the
Bureau forces. What they lacked in magic, they made up for in stubbornness and frightening
adaptability.

They were evenly matched, Bureau and opposing force, neither gaining the advantage. The victor
would find no spoils, only the fallen; they would only earn the right to live another day.

No pride, no glory, no fame would be gained from this conflict, this shameful, unwanted clash.

This… Unsung War.

-------------------------------------------

What…

What happened?

A strange pain, dull yet sharp. Breathing was difficult. Why was it hard to move?

The world was dizzying, muffled, as if far away or buried.

All around… shouting, screaming, and explosions. There was… there is a conflict going on.

The enemy. Who was the enemy?

Wait. Who was that…? The shouting… she’s shouting over the din of combat.

That voice… Lady Keroko? She’s fighting hard. Everyone is fighting hard…

What the hell happened? The dull ache was incredibly painful, yet as distant as the chaos
surrounding him. Had he still had his eyes, his world would’ve been a swirling blur of dulled colors
with brilliant lances of light crisscrossing the skies. He tried to move, tried to sit up, but his body
refused.

Get up, dammit. There is a war going on.

Yes… A war. No victor would rise, only the suffering of countless men and women. They were
fighting… distantly? Closely?

Where were they?

Where was he?

No, that didn’t matter. They were still fighting. He had to keep fighting.

Get up. Get up! Blind, he may be, but a soldier he was still. Get up and face the enemy…!

A sudden, jarring weight. Something was on top of him! Another person, warm but unmoving.
Push it off, move it away, and get up…?

Weakened, trembling hands caressed his cheek. Soft, long hair, silken to the touch but also slick
with blood. Whispers in his ear with shallow breaths. Familiar… Keroko? It was Keroko! But
she was injured? She was fine! She couldn’t possibly be hurt that badly

Why won’t you move? Get up? Please? Show that you’re all right. Only a scratch, or just a flesh
wound, right? Why won’t you get up? The others, they still need you, your soldiers need you.
You are just resting, right?

Please be okay…?

Her hand fell away. Limp.

Keroko? Keroko?! You… you can’t…

No. No! Medic! Where the hell is the medic! W-what the hell was wrong with his voice? She
was down – Keroko was down! Medic!

No. No! Medic! Where the hell is the medic! W-what the hell was wrong with his voice? She
was down – Keroko was down! Medic!

Where… where is the medic?! The enemy, where was the enemy?

God damn it. Damn it no! They were coming – the enemy was coming!

If they won, what then? Execution? Enslavement? No, no no no! This cannot happen!

The enemy… the enemy cannot be allowed victory.

They must be stopped.

Avenge the fallen. Avenge her. With all his strength. With all his soul!

Stop them. Crush them. Defeat them. Destroy them. Kill them

They’re coming out in droves, like cockroaches.

Kill them all.

Revel! Murder them all in fantastic killing spree.

No. A wonderful, insane massacre.

Slaughter.

The seals tore away like paper.

-------------------------------------------

The first thing Noland heard was the rhythmic beeping of an electrocardiogram, pulsing in-sync
with his own heartbeat. A hospital? What had happened to him? The last thing he remembered…
argh. What a terrible, pounding headache. Every time he tried to recall those memories, his mind
would explode in throbbing agony.

An incident. A conflict. Something had happened, and an incredible battle was waged. But
anything after that, a blur and terrible, mind-jarring pain.

He tried to move, only to find it incredibly painful to do so Not only his thoughts, but his body
ached horribly as well, inciting a low groan from the knight.

A gasp. A shuffling of clothes. Someone was here with him.

“Hey,” the word was enough to identify his guest.

“Lady Keroko,” he croaked in greeting, his throat impossibly dry. “I am very glad that you are
well.”

“You’re worse off. When medics finally picked you up, your body was ripped up a hundred
ways to hell. It’s a miracle you survived.”

“Ah. I see…” Noland trailed off. Dammit, what the hell had happened?!

“Do you even know how you got here?”

“I… no. I cannot remember anything past the initial deployment.”

She sighed, reluctant to continue.

“Ten minutes into the operation, you… An enemy sniper managed to hit you with a shieldbreaker
round. It must have struck a vital, because you collapsed immediately.”

Ah, so that’s why his chest hurt like hell.

“Your squad was pinned down, and my squad came in to assist. We just had to hold the line for
a little longer, just enough for the main reinforcements to arrive. We had hoped then to get you to
a medic. But… plans never go the way they’re supposed to, do they?

“Our combined squads were almost overrun, the anti-mage rounds brutally effective against us.
I was wounded. Then…”

Keroko’s voice dropped to a whisper, one that Noland had to strain to hear. But… did he really
want to? “You went berserk.”

Noland’s heartrate spiked, mirrored by the EKG and the slow grimace that spread across his
face. By the Kaiser, no! How could… how could he lose control like that?!

“In that state, you managed to push back the opposing forces. For a while, everyone was
cheering for you. I couldn’t believe it either, you know? One guy, making the biggest difference
in the battle… you’re a strong guy, Reiniger. I don’t think anyone can match you in brute force.
By the time reinforcements arrived, you were as big a celebrity as any of us,” Keroko tried to
chuckle, but it came out weak and uncertain.

Noland was not one to miss something so obvious, nor did he believe that everything had
transpired so smoothly. And Lady Keroko, she sounded so insecure. Despite the growing dread,
he pushed onwards. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

A pause. “Yeah. After defeating the enemy, you… without an obvious opponent, you turned on
us. The strength that everyone was cheering for suddenly struck back at them. By the time
someone managed to subdue you, you had neutralized over half of the Bureau forces and
incapacitated even more. It… it’s not looking good for you.”

The knight’s face showed no emotion, but the long, shuddering sigh he released betrayed his
sorrow. Suddenly, he seemed so much weaker, pallid and tired.

“More innocent blood upon my wretched soul; even in the future, I can find no peace. Maybe
my existence truly is cursed…”

Finally feeling a little stronger, the knight tried to sit up. What he found instead were several
bands that not only held his body down, but every limb.

“Restraints,” he observed.

“They’re… security precautions. Orders from the top – they don’t want to take any risks. This
room is under heavy guard, and I don’t even know what’s laying in wait outside. I had to beg
them to let me stay in the room with you, waiting for you to awaken.”

“How long was I out?”

“Three days.”

“I see… Thank you, Lady Keroko.”

“I have another purpose here, other than to watch over you. The Bureau has already determined
your sentencing, and I have to inform you of this. I’m sorry.”

The shuffle of movement. Keroko stood.

“Noland Reiniger. The Time-Space Administration Bureau has recognized you as a Class SSS
threat to Ordered Space. Upon review of the incident, it has been decided that you are
uncontrollable and too volatile to remain in Ordered Space. As such, you are hereby sentenced
to immediate incarceration in a cryostasis prison. This is a life sentence.


“You will be kept under watch until you’ve healed, then be transferred to an undisclosed location
until the stasis device is prepared. No visitors will be allowed, and communication will be strictly
limited. Do you understand?”

“…Yes.”

“Very well, then.”

Shuffling. The dull click of boots walking across the floor.

“Wait.”

She paused.

“Did I…” he hesitated, not wanting to say any more. “Did I… you… was anyone else injured?”

There was a hidden query behind those words. Had he harmed her?

The redhead declined to speak for a moment, every passing moment serving only to spurn the
growing despair in Noland. The silence was absolutely suffocating.

Finally, a faint whisper:

“No.”

With a muted clatter, the door closed.

Noland did not feel anyone else in the room with him.

Alone, once again. Alone and cold.

-------------------------------------------

Outside the door, Keroko slumped tiredly against the wall. Idly, a hand came up to gently touch
her bandaged neck, still sensitive from the severe bruising. No, she couldn’t bear to tell him the
complete truth. If Noland ever found out, he would be completely ruined. For once, Keroko
was glad that her friend was blind, lest he see the bandages that covered much of her body. How
fortunate it was that her voice managed to recover in time, though the rest of her body still ached.

The memory of that horrid incident was still fresh in her memory, the elation of victory mixed with
the shock and awe of the chaos that followed. Maybe she was fortunate to only come out with
relatively minor injuries.

That terrifying strength, a black and crimson gauntlet grabbing her by the neck and lifting her a
clear three feet into the air. Those furious, burning red eyes, so full of rage and hate. They bore
into her own, peering into her soul. She couldn’t breath, gasping futilely against the Lunatic’s
adamantine grip. Her consciousness was fading, hazy darkness creeping into her vision. One
errant twitch would have crushed her throat; a mere tremble could have popped her head right off.

Her death was so frighteningly real, so close that she nearly accepted her end. Was it luck? Or
maybe, for that moment, Noland had awakened. At the brink of collapse, she was abruptly
released, and by the time she recovered enough to take stock of the situation, Noland was
howling mad, grasping his helmet frantically as he convulsed. With every scream, he shuddered,
as if fighting within himself. Just before his collapse, Noland made known to the world his fury.

In that moment, he stood tall, head thrown back and stance out wide. The Mad Knight roared
to the sky his defiance, his rage and his sorrow.

In that moment, Keroko thought he was magnificent.

But now…

To see him, lying there, a broken man; a far cry from his usual calm, confident, and polite self.
No longer a proud, strong knight, nor a mad, unstoppable fury. Now he was… shattered.

Such a sight felt so wrong.

And to think, her last memory of him, possibly ever, would be that beaten state. It nearly brought
her to tears.

She looked down at her hand, specks of dried blood still evident under her nails and staining her
skin. This blood… wasn’t hers. Noland, he bled for her, just as she did for him. Would he ever
know? Heh, knowing him, he probably already did.

Her hand suddenly clenched into a fist, straining the tired muscles in her forearm, but she didn’t
care.

Cryostasis. God damn it, not even Jail got that sort of sentence! Precia, too, if she was captured
alive, would’ve gotten a completely different punishment. The mage could not even begin to
remember a single precedent case that involved the use of cryostasis as punishment. It was a
damn death sentence—no, a death sentence would be a mercy. To be forever entombed in a
frozen sarcophagus, neither dead nor alive, sleeping eternally without a dream… No one
deserved that. Hayate didn’t, and they managed to save her from that fate. But Noland? How
could they save a convicted man? There was proof! The graves of hundreds upon hundreds,
both friendly and foe, was undeniable. There was evidence of his crimes, but it was not his fault!

He had no control—none of them had control! So why did he alone have to suffer? He, of all
people, did not deserve this. She did not blame him, nor did her friends, but the populace, so full
of fear and uncertainty, could not see beyond his faults. They only saw the Traitor of Belka
reborn, and so they demanded that he be punished.

But it wasn’t fair, dammit!

Why did it have to come to this?

Why couldn’t there be another way?

Noland…

I’m sorry.

-------------------------------------------

End Part One

Oh, Tempest, you evil thing. You'd never let the poor bloke settle down and live his life properly, would you?

[NorthernFallout]

Very nice short, massive feeling in this one. GJ.

[TheShinySword]

Poor Noland he just can't get a break.

[NorthernFallout]

Hmm...

Spoiler for Bloodflow:

A pain is throbbing in my head. It isn’t like a normal headache; it’s more painful than that. I think something hit me there. Yes, something hit me, I’m sure of it

Ouch, damn, it hurts. I can feel something cold running down by my forehead but I can’t see anything. What the hell, is this a blindfold? Why do I have a blindfold? Why was I hit?

“Seems you are awake.”

A voice? It sounds like a girl…who is she, do I recognize it?
No, I can’t place it. Damnit, try to remember.

“This is a very special occasion and you should be glad.”

The fuck? Why should I be glad? I can’t see anything and I’m bleeding. The hell does she mean?

“You are…the tenth. It’s a magic number, I learnt that from someone. The tenth should always be greeted and treated with care.”

“Care?”

There, I said something. At least, I think I did. It feels like I haven’t gotten any water for days. So thirsty…

“Yes, care. I have taken good care of you; no one else has received this treatment.”

The hell is she talking about? I’m so confused…

“…also…”

Gah, what is she doing? Fuck, I wish I could see who this bitch is and why is she straddling me? Jesus I can even feel her breath.

“No, maybe not. You deserve better.”

Phew, seems like she didn’t do anything. Maybe she stood up again, because the pressure disappeared. Wait, what is she doing now?

“What are you doing?”

Hope I don’t sound afraid…or maybe it’s better if I do.

“You’ll see. Hihihihi. Well, feel it maybe.”

Feel? What?

“Is that a toolbox?”

I heard some metal being scraped around just a few seconds ago, maybe it is one. Damn, why did I even ask, of course it is? Right?

“Yes. I store my equipment here.”

A short answer again. Who the fuck do she think she is? Damn, I’m getting angry now.

“Hey, whoever you are. Who the hell are you? What do you want from me?”

Why doesn’t she answer? Oh hell, I hope I didn’t ask the wrong question. She is going to kill me, I’m sure of it.

“My name doesn’t matter to you. You have never met me, never seen me and you should not see me. However, I can tell you what you will do for me.”

What does she mean? It’s true I can’t place her voice so maybe I haven’t met her before, but what does she want from me?

“And what do you want me to do? You are going to kill me aren’t you? No matter what I do, you are going to do just that right?”

Why am I even talking, it’s useless. I can feel death sniffing me in my neck.

“Stop putting words in my mouth!”

Ahh, she shouted. Shit, shit that wasn’t good. Damnit, now she is getting closer. Don’t. Don’t touch me!

“I want YOU to give me YOUR blood. Thihihi, HAHAHA! YES! YOUR BLOOD!”

My blood? Fucking freak, what the hell!

“Goddamn freak, get away from me, DON’T TOUCH ME!”

Silent again, shit what should I do? What CAN I do? Mom. Dad. Someone.

“SHUT UP! Don’t disturb me anymore. I’m already losing…no that’s not it. It’s because of YOU I am losing it. YES! EVERYTHING IS YOUR FAULT! IT MUST BE!”

Pain. This pain I have never felt before. My right ankle suddenly hurts so much. I can’t…scream. I can’t…it hurts.

“Ahhhh, ugh!”

I can’t form words, it hurts too much! Someone help me!

“This red color, it’s different from the others…YES! YOU ARE THE TENTH! HAHAHAHA! I’m so happy!”

What the fuck is this shit, this hurts. Oh my god, what is she doing now? Is she…is she licking me where she hurt me? Fucking freak!

“Yeah…this is the tenth. Mmmm, it’s delicious, oh yes. Aaaah~”

The hell? Is she enjoying it that much or is my head so dulled from this fucking pain that I can’t think? What the hell, no way, it must be her. I can’t lose my head now.

“Stop…stop it…”

“I won’t stop. Such delicious red, such a fragrant taste. Ahhh, the tenth~”

The…hell. I’m beginning to fade. No way! I must fight!

“I want more! MORE! KYAHAHAHA!”

PAIN! So much pain! My other ankle…no way, what the fuck did she do to it?! I can’t feel my feet anymore…aaah…

“Mmmm, aaaan~. I haven’t tasted such delicious in a while. It’s so satisfying…”

What should I do, someone help me! I don’t know what to do! SOMEONE! Don’t make me repeat myself!

“I can’t…uuuh, ohhh…”

“Hmm? Fading away? Just like the rest? No...aaaahn~…wonder. Always when it burns me inside, always when I feel so aroused you give up. IT’S ALWAYS THE SAME!”

I can’t speak…the pain is so extreme. My mind is numb.

“Mmm. You know, it’s actually a lot different drinking from your throat than your ankles. It feels fresher somehow. Aaaahn~”

She has her lips against my neck. I can feel them but can’t remove them…go away. My mind is…fading.

“Aaaah, mmm…delicious. Nnnn~”

Fade…can’t lose.

~~****~ ~

“It’s the same as the others. Ankles cut, died by bloodloss. However, this one was also cut around the throat.”

“Around the throat?”

The coroner bent down and pointed below the victim’s mouth with his pen. A large wound surrounded by the dark red color of dried blood gaped from the victim’s throat.

“See here and here. Probably done by a sharp weapon, a knife most likely. Clean cut all the way. It probably increased his loss of blood and he died within seconds.”

“Nasty way to go.”

“You bet. Besides being in pain from the ankles, getting the throat cut…ouch.”

The Investigator heaved his jacket over his shoulder and watched the body in silence, thinking. The coroner scribbled something down in his notebook.

“Do you know who did it?” the coroner asked suddenly.

“I have a vague feeling. Check his ankles and throat again. See if you can find any marks of lips or teeth.”
The coroner eyed the Investigator with a suspicious glance, but did as he was told. He dropped to his knees and checked more thoroughly.

He lifted his eyebrows in surprise when he found it.

“I’ll be damned, you are right. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have missed it.”

He looked up and watched the Investigator heading for the door.

“Hey, Gunwald! You know who did it, don’t you?”

Gunwald took another cigarette out of a small package in his pocket and lit it with his lighter clad in silver. He took a breath and exhaled the smoke in small puffs.

“Yeah. His throat might have been cut, but it’s still her. The Blood Maiden.”

[Nya~n]

Originally Posted by AtomicoX

Hmm...

Spoiler for Bloodflow:

A pain is throbbing in my head. It isn’t like a normal headache; it’s more painful than that. I think something hit me there. Yes, something hit me, I’m sure of it

Ouch, damn, it hurts. I can feel something cold running down by my forehead but I can’t see anything. What the hell, is this a blindfold? Why do I have a blindfold? Why was I hit?

“Seems you are awake.”

A voice? It sounds like a girl…who is she, do I recognize it?
No, I can’t place it. Damnit, try to remember.

“This is a very special occasion and you should be glad.”

The fuck? Why should I be glad? I can’t see anything and I’m bleeding. The hell does she mean?

“You are…the tenth. It’s a magic number, I learnt that from someone. The tenth should always be greeted and treated with care.”

“Care?”

There, I said something. At least, I think I did. It feels like I haven’t gotten any water for days. So thirsty…

“Yes, care. I have taken good care of you; no one else has received this treatment.”

The hell is she talking about? I’m so confused…

“…also…”

Gah, what is she doing? Fuck, I wish I could see who this bitch is and why is she straddling me? Jesus I can even feel her breath.

“No, maybe not. You deserve better.”

Phew, seems like she didn’t do anything. Maybe she stood up again, because the pressure disappeared. Wait, what is she doing now?

“What are you doing?”

Hope I don’t sound afraid…or maybe it’s better if I do.

“You’ll see. Hihihihi. Well, feel it maybe.”

Feel? What?

“Is that a toolbox?”

I heard some metal being scraped around just a few seconds ago, maybe it is one. Damn, why did I even ask, of course it is? Right?

“Yes. I store my equipment here.”

A short answer again. Who the fuck do she think she is? Damn, I’m getting angry now.

“Hey, whoever you are. Who the hell are you? What do you want from me?”

Why doesn’t she answer? Oh hell, I hope I didn’t ask the wrong question. She is going to kill me, I’m sure of it.

“My name doesn’t matter to you. You have never met me, never seen me and you should not see me. However, I can tell you what you will do for me.”

What does she mean? It’s true I can’t place her voice so maybe I haven’t met her before, but what does she want from me?

“And what do you want me to do? You are going to kill me aren’t you? No matter what I do, you are going to do just that right?”

Why am I even talking, it’s useless. I can feel death sniffing me in my neck.

“Stop putting words in my mouth!”

Ahh, she shouted. Shit, shit that wasn’t good. Damnit, now she is getting closer. Don’t. Don’t touch me!

“I want YOU to give me YOUR blood. Thihihi, HAHAHA! YES! YOUR BLOOD!”

My blood? Fucking freak, what the hell!

“Goddamn freak, get away from me, DON’T TOUCH ME!”

Silent again, shit what should I do? What CAN I do? Mom. Dad. Someone.

“SHUT UP! Don’t disturb me anymore. I’m already losing…no that’s not it. It’s because of YOU I am losing it. YES! EVERYTHING IS YOUR FAULT! IT MUST BE!”

Pain. This pain I have never felt before. My right ankle suddenly hurts so much. I can’t…scream. I can’t…it hurts.

“Ahhhh, ugh!”

I can’t form words, it hurts too much! Someone help me!

“This red color, it’s different from the others…YES! YOU ARE THE TENTH! HAHAHAHA! I’m so happy!”

What the fuck is this shit, this hurts. Oh my god, what is she doing now? Is she…is she licking me where she hurt me? Fucking freak!

“Yeah…this is the tenth. Mmmm, it’s delicious, oh yes. Aaaah~”

The hell? Is she enjoying it that much or is my head so dulled from this fucking pain that I can’t think? What the hell, no way, it must be her. I can’t lose my head now.

“Stop…stop it…”

“I won’t stop. Such delicious red, such a fragrant taste. Ahhh, the tenth~”

The…hell. I’m beginning to fade. No way! I must fight!

“I want more! MORE! KYAHAHAHA!”

PAIN! So much pain! My other ankle…no way, what the fuck did she do to it?! I can’t feel my feet anymore…aaah…

“Mmmm, aaaan~. I haven’t tasted such delicious in a while. It’s so satisfying…”

What should I do, someone help me! I don’t know what to do! SOMEONE! Don’t make me repeat myself!

“I can’t…uuuh, ohhh…”

“Hmm? Fading away? Just like the rest? No...aaaahn~…wonder. Always when it burns me inside, always when I feel so aroused you give up. IT’S ALWAYS THE SAME!”

I can’t speak…the pain is so extreme. My mind is numb.

“Mmm. You know, it’s actually a lot different drinking from your throat than your ankles. It feels fresher somehow. Aaaahn~”

She has her lips against my neck. I can feel them but can’t remove them…go away. My mind is…fading.

“Aaaah, mmm…delicious. Nnnn~”

Fade…can’t lose.

~~****~ ~

“It’s the same as the others. Ankles cut, died by bloodloss. However, this one was also cut around the throat.”

“Around the throat?”

The coroner bent down and pointed below the victim’s mouth with his pen. A large wound surrounded by the dark red color of dried blood gaped from the victim’s throat.

“See here and here. Probably done by a sharp weapon, a knife most likely. Clean cut all the way. It probably increased his loss of blood and he died within seconds.”

“Nasty way to go.”

“You bet. Besides being in pain from the ankles, getting the throat cut…ouch.”

The Investigator heaved his jacket over his shoulder and watched the body in silence, thinking. The coroner scribbled something down in his notebook.

“Do you know who did it?” the coroner asked suddenly.

“I have a vague feeling. Check his ankles and throat again. See if you can find any marks of lips or teeth.”
The coroner eyed the Investigator with a suspicious glance, but did as he was told. He dropped to his knees and checked more thoroughly.

He lifted his eyebrows in surprise when he found it.

“I’ll be damned, you are right. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have missed it.”

He looked up and watched the Investigator heading for the door.

“Hey, Gunwald! You know who did it, don’t you?”

Gunwald took another cigarette out of a small package in his pocket and lit it with his lighter clad in silver. He took a breath and exhaled the smoke in small puffs.

“Yeah. His throat might have been cut, but it’s still her. The Blood Maiden.”

And so the trail is fresh once again. Like Walla-tan's favourite drink. I must say though, this short... Isn't as dramatic as the previous Walla-tan one.

[Kyral]

Originally Posted by Tempest Dynasty

Four days of nothing? That's a damn shame.

So here's something.

Spoiler for Crisis:

*snip*

Ahh... Noland you poor bastard. Can't wait for the next part.

Thanks Tempest, I more and more become a fan of your writing.


Also a little status report of mine.

I have a lot of upcoming test next month, so I'm pretty occupied with learing and stuff.
Sorry that I won't be able to contribute to this thread at the moment.

[NorthernFallout]

Previous Chapters

Knight of Exodus

Spoiler for Chapter 7 - A Hidden Past:

The village was in flames and chaos covered the land. A squad from Northern Beskanti had arrived at the outskirts of the village and attacked them. The villagers had been too unprepared and were too unskilled to stand up against them. Already the casualties were rising; no one was spared from the onslaught. Men, women and children alike were killed or captured with no remorse.

There was a small group, however, that had managed to make it further south of the town and they were now at the last gate before they could retreat into the forest. It was a huge metal gate anchored to anti-magic enforced walls and the lever was a few meters above on another level.
Among the little group was a huge dragon with a girl riding on it, giving out orders.

“Last stop for us. You two,” she said and pointed at two men standing around,”run up there and open the gate.”

They nodded and ran towards the stairs leading upwards. Elly turned Nidoha around in case the enemy came at them. They had been in close pursuit throughout the city just until a moment ago but they might have become lost.
A sharp sound told her the metal gate was winding upwards.

“Alright, run into the forest and try to hide until reinforcements arrive, they can’t be far out by now. I’ll stay here and fend them off in case they chase after us. Go!”

Not one of the others was really a fighter as she was and knowing that they all did as they were told. With only slight doubt in their minds they ran outside the gate and out into the forest. Elly watched them leave until the sound of footsteps reached her. Nidoha went into a fighting position with Elly still on her back.

Weapons suddenly discharged from a distance and magical shots filled the air. Elly raised a shield as fast as she could, but she noticed their attacks were more precise and powerful than before. More troops were arriving behind a few more buildings too. She couldn’t sustain the fire any longer.

“Nidoha, we can’t hold it here. Take flight!” she yelled and braced herself.The dragon gathered strength in her backlegs and jumped just as a significantly powerful beam struck her in one of her knees. Despite her natural resistance to magic and thick hide, it pierced through and left a large, smoking hole. Blood gushed out and Nidoha lost balance while yelping by the pain, throwing Elly off her seat. They both tumbled onto the ground and Elly rolled a short distance before coming to a stop.

With blurry vision and blood running down her forehead, she could see Nidoha desperately trying to get up. Enemy soldiers who overestimated themselves got too close and were cut to pieces or smashed to a pulp by Nidoha’s powerful limbs. With her master no longer in the seat and unable to stand on her legs, the dragon went into a frenzy.
Elly could only watch since any attempts she made to communicate with the dragon were lost in the confusion of the dragon’s enraged mind. Nidoha roared and continued to fight deeper into the enemy force.
A few soldiers had by that time located Elly and attacked her as soon as they could. She drew her own blade and engaged them, but she knew deep within her that she couldn’t win. Both her shield and strength were far too weak to stand against several opponents and there was even more flooding out from all directions. She fought the best she could until one of the soldiers got the upper hand and rammed her into the ground face-first. She felt her nose crack as it had another time long ago and the pain spiked into her skull. They gathered upon her and secured her with several binds before they turned their attention to Nidoha. Elly managed to move her head in that direction and watch as the once mightily powerful Crimson Dragon made its last attempts to kill its adversaries. There were bodies everywhere, limbs scattered and blood pouring onto the ground. The enemy had taken heavy losses against the dragon but now they finally began to get the upper hand.

Elly could only watch as multiple beams of the same kind as before stretched across the sky and hit Nidoha across the entire length of her body. Every shot pierced her and caused massive pain coupled with a massive amount of blood pumping out of that large body. She roared and yelped as best she could, but her efforts began to die out beneath the merciless barrage. Eventually her body couldn’t sustain the injuries anymore and she fell over on her back. Her stomach stopped moving a few seconds afterwards and Elly felt her mind disappear into darkness.

Where she lay, the blood began mixing with tears. She clenched her teeth and stared at her most trusted companion and important friend she had ever had taking its last breath in its own blood and flesh.

I’ll get you back...somehow, I’ll get you back…

~~****~~

She sat up in the bed with sweat running down her back and making quick breaths as if she was in a state of panic. She looked around the room to try and find something she could recognize, to confirm where she was. White walls and a white roof was all she saw and she had no idea where she was. She didn’t recognize anything in the room.

She put her face in her cupped hands and mumbled something. Gradually she stopped shaking and her breathing slowed down to a calmer pace. She lifted her head again, took another look around the room and tried to sort things out. She talked to herself absentmindedly.

“A hospital. White walls, white bed and white clothes. I’m getting medicine from these wires, yes that must be it. What happened, I don’t remember…”

She then realized that neither her device nor her familiar was anywhere to be sighted. She looked around frantically.

“Fornjót, where are you? Answer me! Nidoha, come to me!”

“Take it easy and don’t yell.”

The sudden voice made her spin around towards the corridor and she managed to rip out a needle supplying her with nourishment. She grabbed the spot in pain and hissed. It stung like a wasp.

“I see you’re awake and active, Elisabeth,” the woman in the doorway said and approached her. Elly glared at her but couldn’t muster the strength to retort back. She noticed her throat was dry as a desert and the recent yelling had taken the last strength out of that.

“Your device and the dragon are safe. The dragon is just outside the window and the device is in our lab. They were quite cooperative after you got knocked out,” the woman said and pulled out a chair standing next to the bed. Her tone was not the condescending one Elly had learned to expect. This one was more out of pity.

“You might remember me from before but I don’t think I’ve introduced myself. Am I correct in thinking that?”

Elly nodded slightly. The woman in front of her had a military uniform, very similar to something she had seen before.

“My name is Hayate Yagami, commanding officer of the squad sent out to capture you. You were knocked out and you’ve been here since we got back from the mountains,” Hayate said and looked at Elly. Tiny fists formed on the bed as the words sunk in.

“I don’t know how or why you are here and neither does the woman you fought with. It’s obvious you are acquainted with her. So tell me, to start with; who are you exactly and what are you doing here? If it’s too early for you I can come back later.”

Elly shook her head and spoke. Her voice was weak but she could speak loud enough for Hayate to hear.

“I can handle it, as long as that woman isn’t here,” she said and took a deep breath. She had already realized it was pointless to resist anymore. “My name is Elisabeth Jónsdóttir, a Korporal in the Southern Beskanti army. I escaped from the planet Cancri and the next thing I know is that I woke up on this planet with that woman here. That’s all I know.”

Hayate picked up a bottle of water on a nearby table and poured some in a glass. When it was filled to the half she put the flask down, picked up the glass and handed it towards Elly.

“Drink, we got time.”

Elly accepted the glass with unsteady hands and drank from it slowly. Hayate spoke while she did so.

“And why did you decide to attack us?”

Elly stopped drinking and but the glass down in her knee. She stared at it while rubbing her thumb against it.

“Because that woman was there I assumed you people were working under her and I didn’t want to get captured again. So I decided to flee.”

“Why did you think we worked for her?”

Elly glanced at Hayate and then looked out the window.

“You obviously don’t know her. You can’t see what she has done in the past and therefore you don’t see who she really is. The Norfolk are all like that.”

Hayate didn’t speak for a moment and thought of how to proceed. After a moment she made up her mind and pushed on.

“So, can I assume she did something that affected you personally?”

The girl in the bed, who now looked frail and lonely, got a dark expression on her face.

“I took an oath,” Elly said slowly, “that I would hunt her down and get revenge for what happened some time ago. Simply put…”

She faltered as her throat refused to work for a few seconds. She then took another deep breath and continued.

“They attacked the area where I lived and she was the leader of her squad. First they kidnapped my father and my brother. They took them somewhere, I don’t know where. They just took them.
My mother and I were hiding in the house, but they soon found us. For some reason they didn’t attack us but waited instead. My mother tried to beg and plead to let me go, she even went down on her knees.
Then she arrived. I refuse to forget that look she had. I remember she told my mother to stand up and face her, and for a second I thought they were going to let us leave.”

Elly stopped talking suddenly and held out her glass. Hayate poured up some more water which the girl drank slowly.
She continued after a moment’s pause.

“She looked into my mother’s eyes. There was a killing intent, I could feel it, but there was also something else. Rage, disgust, something was there that made me realize we wouldn’t get out of there. I tried to shout out to my mother to flee or jump away but it was for nothing. That woman suddenly drew a sword faster than I could blink and stabbed my mother in the stomach. It went all the way throughout her back and I remember the sound of something dripping on the floor. I had closed my eyes in fear so I couldn’t see anything and I only heard the sword withdraw after that, with a body dropping on the floor.”

She stopped again and didn’t speak anymore. Hayate retrieved a handkerchief hanging from the bed and leaned forward. Elly had been crying without realizing it and Hayate was wiping the tears away, not saying a word. She realized Elly probably didn’t know more than they had already heard from Sigrid and she decided to back away. The weight on the girl’s shoulders was already heavy.

“I’ll come back later to check up on you so take this time to rest,” she said and got on her feet. Elly nodded in response and sank back against the pillow. When Hayate walked out of the room the girl had already closed her eyes.

~~****~~

Sigrid’s apartment was pretty much the standard for apartments in the capital. It had a simple, single bedroom, a pretty normal-sized living room, a separate kitchen and a bathroom. Pretty much everything one needed, and a little more, to enjoy life in these parts. She had been invited by Nanoha, after the crash and before Nanoha had gone on vacation with Vivio, to buy furniture, everyday equipment and clothes.

Sigrid had taken a liking to it because it wasn’t often she had gone outside like a normal civilian back on Cancri. There she had usually gone in a group, always in uniform and never gotten to choose where to go herself. Even with Nanoha and Vivio trailing after her, they let her choose mostly by herself what she wanted. Occasionally they would butt in to tease her about various outfits she definitely didn’t want, but they didn’t tell her what she should buy.

It had left a sweet experience in the back of her mind and today she was out to expand her wardrobe again. She had left the apartment early, before the real commerce began, and left Forseti behind to guard. Not that he could do much by himself, but he could at least distract anyone getting in. A voice in an empty room would probably scare anyone off.

However, since she was part of the Norfolk and a citizen of Northern Beskanti, she really wasn’t allowed to part with her device. She had made a decision today, though. Since she wasn’t on Cancri anymore and people around here didn’t bring their devices along everywhere, she would try, at least once, to be without him. She had said goodbye to him before she left, having a sinking feeling in her chest saying that it was wrong. Forseti had cheered her on in his own way though and she had managed to get on with it. As she wandered the streets downtown she started to feel slightly better. This was perhaps her new life getting a start.

Forseti, who lay on a bureau in the living room, was playing around with his settings. He sensed a couple in the apartment underneath engaged in some very energizing activity, a woman and her child screaming at each other in the apartment above and no signs of life in the two other apartments on the sides. He had never sensed this kind of life before because the only thing he was used to was military compounds and soldiers with nothing interesting to take note of. There was also always someone, usually Sigrid, who told him not to change his settings without orders. Now there was no one around so he took the chance.

He expanded his sensors further into a wide circle that stretched down to the street below. A lot of noises and activity travelled through the air and flooded him. He adjusted the sensitivity and spent some time tweaking them before he was satisfied. He lay there in the silence of the apartment and didn’t do anything worthwhile.

Then the phone suddenly rang. It was of the wireless type and connected to a receiver that displayed the number calling. Forseti had previously taken it upon himself to hack into it and he could listen in on any conversation. The automatic message clicked on after a series of dial tones.

“The owner of this phone is unreachable at the moment. Please record a message after the beep.”

The beep came, but no one spoke on the other side afterwards. Forseti could however sense that there still was someone there, swaying between saying something or not saying anything at all.

“…I don’t know if I have reached the right place or not,” a male voice said. Forseti quickly confirmed it was in the same language and even dialect that his lady spoke. In a matter of milliseconds he activated his recording software and listened in.

“I don’t know if you know anything about this whole thing, because I certainly don’t, but in case this line is wired, let me say this; Meet me at the first bus stop outside the city borders to the north the first thing tomorrow. I don’t know what this city is called, but I do know you are in there. I hope at least. I can see if it’s you alone if you do, although I’m not alone myself. There is someone with me that knows you well. I can’t say more over this line. Knight Captain, I’ll be waiting.”

The voice hung up and the recorded message saved itself into Forseti’s databanks. He ran it again, this time with voice identification software ticking along in the background. In his internal core he watched the sound waves trying to find a common source as they waved back and forth. Initially it didn’t make a move anywhere and just played. But then, slowly, it began to inch closer towards another sound wave previously recorded until it fit above it. They fit perfectly and Forseti raced to another side of his databanks where the voices were stored. The time it took to find it was fast even for a machine and a name coupled with a picture, rank information, location and ethnicity appeared in rapid sequence. With the series of commands and processes complete, his processor came to a halt and awaited further instructions.

He thought for a moment. All devices native to Cancri and developed from the Himalaya had different personalities and were more ‘thinking’ than devices on Mid-Childa. This showed, when Forseti after some consideration suddenly decided to delete the message and the number appearing on the receiver. He instead extracted all information from it and imported the data to his own databanks, into a separate archive which only he could access. He was his lady’s device, he knew that and he also knew his lady loved him as a family member. But this had moved something inside of him, something deep within that he wanted to take upon himself.

~~****~~

Fate sat at a desk aboard the Cynthia, one of the warships currently orbiting Mid-Childa in wait for departure. Her desk was cluttered with papers, pens and other materials. It had been a hectic night because a new incident related to the other strange ship appearances had found its way to her table.

“It’s about that ship we tracked down to the surface,” the officer that had left his report had said. “We lost track of it just after it entered the atmosphere, but we have gotten several reports about people being knocked out down there. We think it’s related to the ship.”

Fate had accepted the report and sent him on his way. She had read through it several times and a plausible theory had begun forming in her head.

The ship, a small transport vessel from the looks of it, had appeared out of nowhere and passed the Cynthia on its way down to the surface. They had then, as the officer reported, lost sight of it. However, the place where these assumed assaults had taken place could have been where the ship had landed several hours ago. The vector it had flown in, the descent angle and its speed showed that it would land about there.
She scrounged out some other reports from the pile with more detailed descriptions. The victims, random people in various ages, had been brought to the nearby hospital as soon as they had been found. They were in good health and some had already woken up.
However, most of them were delirious and told strange tales not of this world. Some had walked in a labyrinth, some had been locked inside a room and someone had even been stuck in a sinking car. Each of the various scenarios required them to figure a way out. The strange thing was that it had all happened inside their heads.

The doctors and psychiatrists that had taken care of them had filed reports Fate now had on her desk. They had all agreed on that the victims had been assaulted by something or someone that had mentally attacked them. They had heard from old legends about people with strange abilities that could read or alter other person’s mind but it had never been scientifically proven, so the theory was still mere speculation and might be hogwash. But they couldn’t prove the opposite either, as they had no idea what could have caused it.

Fate had already mailed Hayate about it and hoped she could look into it. It wasn’t protocol to do so as they each worked in different departments, but she knew Hayate always had something up her sleeves and Hayate had after all taken care of Sigrid and was the supervisor for those investigations.

There were also other reports related to the first one that she had also notified Hayate about. According to witnesses, a blonde girl travelling with a man in strange clothing had been sighted around the area and no one knew who they were. Whether or not they were connected to the investigation Fate didn’t know but she had mailed it anyway.
She stretched and leant back on her chair. All these incidents, ships appearing, strange humans that also could use magic arriving with them, they all went through her head. She pondered about what was really going on, if this was really a coincidence. There had been other reports of these so-called wormholes opening and closing rapidly. Nothing had come out of them however, nothing that they could track. Cloaking devices perhaps, maybe aliens were already sneaking around the surface or maybe spies from another planet.
Before she lost her mind entirely she sat up straight and shook her head. She took a new pen that wasn’t broken and started signing the paperwork again.

[AdmiralTigerclaw]

Okay.

I worked on the scene that's turning out questions. I was re-reading the scene last night trying to get myself moving into the next scene when I decided I didn't like the FLOW of the lines, and found a way to reword the scene that comes off as Less Stupid and more natural.

Spoiler for Third Time's the charm here...:

Walking up to the stunned and recovering group, he eyed them all with a sudden seeming contempt.

"Congratulations," he stated. "You're all DEAD. Would anyone care to explain?"

Silence. They all glanced among each other as if trying to understand what exactly was going on.

“Anyone at all?” Roland asked, cocking his head to the side?

Tiana jogged up around that moment to join the group. But still no answers.

“Takamachi!” Roland snapped.

“Yessir!” she stiffened.

“Tactical Assessment,” he ordered.

“A Four to one, attack and contain scenario,” Nanoha supplied. “The Forwards were cohesive until they were flanked by surprise and taken out rapidly.”

“Why?”

Nanoha seemed to pause. Making the ace of aces pause to think about her own duties was not something any of them had seen before. Roland sighed inwardly, then turned to Erio.

“Why’d you get shot?”

Erio stiffened under the scrutiny of a General, but in his credit, remained resolute.
“I wasn’t expecting an attack from behind, so I wasn’t really paying attention to what was behi-“

Roland turned to Caro and fired off the same question.

Not used to being spoken to so harshly, Caro sputtered her answer out.

“I- I was worried about Erio, so I wasn’t really paying attention when he-“

Then he snapped to Subaru.

“I don’t really pay attention to what’s going on behind me,” she shrugged.

Roland turned back to Nanoha.

“Notice anything Captain?”

They all turned to Nanoha as she nodded in total understanding, and the three ‘dead’ forwards all cast her and the General a curious look.

“So,” he began. “Out of the four of you, who WAS actually paying attention?”

Tia smacked her face and sighed. Roland wandered over and patted her on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry, at least you’re alive to write the condolences,” he quipped. Tia glared daggers at the senior commander for a second as he continued. “I’m sorry to report that I lost my entire team because none of us were paying attention… Or something like that.”

“Sir,” Erio interrupted. “She can’t really cover all of us like that, so don’t blame her.”

“She’s in charge,” Roland scowled. “EVERYTHING is her fault. And she knows it.”

“Sir,” Erio responded. “I have to be responsible for my own actions in combat and look after myself responsibly if I am to be an asset to my team.”

“So then you made a full tactical assessment and understood the risks of standing in an intersection right?” Roland asked.

“We have powerful shielding magic to protect us in the open,” Erio countered.

“Then how’d you get shot,” Roland asked.

“I didn’t use it…” Erio responded.

“Why not?” The general crossed his arms. It reminded crash disturbingly of Fox’s ‘Langley Effect’.

“We were just practicing-“ Roland cut Erio off before he could finish.

“So you weren’t paying attention to your flank,” it was a statement.

“Yessir.”

“So she was?” Roland pointed at Tia.

“No sir,” Erio’s sighed.

“So you had your shield up…” Roland asked.

“… No… sir.” Erio hung his head in shame.


“Lanster,” Roland turned to her in a more relaxed manner. “I expect you understand the lesson here.”

“Yes sir,” she nodded.

“Train as you would fight,” the General announced. “Even Nanoha here fell victim to a simple but deadly assumption about a supposedly safe area. Even it it’s practice, even if your only opponent is a fire ant on the sidewalk… Watch. Your. Flank. An assumption is a dangerous thing to make.”

He turned and waved towards the corner of the intersection.

“If Mondial had simply positioned himself over there closer to the building, instead of standing in the open with his back to the street. I, a mere man with absolutely no magical power, would never have been able to so easily walk right up behind him kill the entire team. If I had been a real hostile looking to make a preemptive attack, I’d have done more damage to the TSAB in five seconds than Scagletti’s entire offensive. Too many good mages have been killed by stupid tactical mistakes that should never happen. Mistakes just like that.”

Roland turned back to Tia.

“So fix it,” he ordered. “You’ll find everything you need to know in E.S.O.F.M. six dash seven, Tactical Stealth and Minimal Magical Signature Operations.”

Crash’s mouth dropped, as did Nanoha’s.

“Sir,” she began. “That’s the Enforcer Special Operations Field Manual.”

“And?” Roland asked.

“The only one of us in this unit who’s seen what’s in that manual is Fate,” Nanoha informed him. “It’s high level clearance for enforcers and she won’t even tell ME what’s in them.”

“Is that a problem?” Roland asked.

“I don’t even have clearance for that!” she argued. “How can I get my forwards clearance for a manual I can’t even get access to?”

Roland shrugged. “Then get clearance…”

Nanoha was at a loss for the first time in a while.

“HOW?!”

“Ask a General?” he provided.


Nanoha stared. Crash stared. Tia couldn’t believe that exchange had just occurred.


“I WROTE FM Six Dash Seven my first year in the TSAB,” Roland shook his head. “I know exactly what’s in that manual. Why they keep that information wrapped up in high clearance is beyond me. It’s the same stuff US Soldiers learn in Basic Combat Training, plus some of lessons I learned in Ranger School. Concealment, Cover, Camouflage, Tactical Movement Techniques, fire-team coordination, hand signal communication… All without using magic. Kid Stuff really.”

He turned and addressed the group as a whole.

“All devices confirm authentication Roland, William. Major General of the Bureau Experimental Systems Test Force.”

[AUTHENTICATED]

“Clearance Access special privilege level to Enforcer Special Operations Field Manual Six Dash Seven,” he instructed. “Confirm Access Grant.”

[CONFIRMED]

“There,” the General shrugged. “Easy… for my next trick.”
He looked around at them.

“Need anything else while we’re at it?”

“Well,” Tia looked at Cross Mirage in her hands. “We really could use a larger supply of cartridges so we have more for practice…”

“DONE,” Roland snapped.

“If I could get more authority over my limiter so we could get more high level practice sessions in,” Nanoha began.

“DONE,” Roland snapped again. “Just remember to adhere to safety procedure AA-22 before you do so. It’s there for reason.”

Nanoha nodded as Subaru stepped forward.

“If we could get more ice cream for the cafeteria-“

“DENIED,” Roland rolled his eyes. Tia made a quick rib in Subaru’s side, who in turn giggled.

“Worth a shot,” she whispered.


“What’s with the ice cream?” Crash asked Tia.

“I think combat cyborgs run on sugar,” Lanster rolled her eyes.

Crash willed himself to ignore the reminder about Subaru. Last night’s performance was shameful enough without a repeat.

“It’s not that bad is it?” he asked quietly.

“She cleaned out an Ami’s Ice Cream,” Tia replied with a scowl. “And my wallet… Ms. Muzino, the owner, has a limit on us thanks to that stunt. I just don’t know where she puts it all.”

Crash couldn’t help but picture Subaru with a stack of ice cream bowls as tall as she was while she slurped down the contents of one more. Somehow, that goofy scene made the fact that she was a combat cyborg less intimidating and helped to ease the butterflies in his stomach as he reminded himself for the umpteenth time the girl wasn’t going to suddenly leap out of her skin and attack him.

“Well, that takes care of that,” Roland nodded in approval. “I guess now I have to go hunt down a few logistics managers and strangle the documentation out of them, otherwise this stuff will never get done. Thank you Bureaucracy.”

He turned to Crash.

“You stay here, and follow the Captain’s instructions. I’ll be back for lunch I’m sure.”

“Wait-“ Crash began. “I outrank her.”

“Takamachi,” Roland turned back to Nanoha. “Be sure and take GOOD CARE of my soldier now. I’m placing him UNDER your command for the time being…”

Nanoha sprouted a strange smile as she snapped a Salute to Roland, who in turn came about and started to walk quickly back the way he’d come.

Crash looked between the two for a few seconds, then at the forwards, then back to Roland, working his mouth the whole time. Then it clicked.

"Wait! Don't leave me with them! Takamachi has that look in her eye! WILL? WILL!!!!"

So what I've done is reword the conversation to move the error in the Forwards away from just being plain lame about their defense, to assuming erraniously about their environment. It's a mistake I could see even a veteran making. I also changed the wording from Roland so that it doesn't imply to have Erio standing up against the wall as someone seemed to have taken the previous line.

I've still got my little Drill Sergeant: 'All Answers are Wrong' styled talkdown in it too, which I was determined to keep.

This way, it makes the point, without making the forwards seem like they're, according to others: "Stupid" after all their experience. Since this is actually the third time I've had a crack at this scene (The post last week was actually version II) I'm thinking "Third Time's a Charm".

Work out better?

Page claim in the name of:

[Wild Goose]

Looks good and flow is okay. Though... I would kinda have expected Roland to pull out the hardcopy manual

Anyway, a short quick profile of a new OFM OC:

Spoiler for Rage:

Name: Mikhail "Taufan" Smirnoff
Callsign: Uruz 2
Age: 27
Ace Name: N/A
Gender: Male
Origin: Erusia
Affiliation: Lost Property Investigation & Recovery Task Force 6 (on secondment from the Order of Freelance Mages), Time-Space Administration Bureau
Position: Uruz Team Member, Sniper
Rank: E-5 (Sergeant)

Mage Class: Sniper
Magic Rank: B++
Magic System: Mid-Childa
Magic Color: Cyan Blue
Magic Affinity: Nil
Magic Style: Long-distanced ranged combat
Magic Device: EBR

Quote: "Purity through hate. Dignity through rage."

Description: A serious, focused man capable at times of charming & disarming humor, with still waters that run deep. Under his outwardly amiable appearance is a tempest of rage. Critical of the shortcomings of the Bureau and contemptuous of those who dismiss snipers. An excellent shot with a rifle, whether with magic or solid rounds. One of the few mages who shoots manually, with no guidance: just aiming with his eyes.