| 9-1 Storm Assault
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Episode 09 Previous Part 1 Recap
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| Victoria's 7th Frontline Infantry Battalion, 2nd Tempest Platoon, makes landfall on County Hillock. | |
| Characters |
 Adjutant Hill  Panicked Youth Victorian Soldier Triangle |
| Backgrounds |
 1 |
| “ | Pursuing a case of theft of military Originium products, Bagpipe under the Tempest Platoon arrives at County Hillock, and conducts an assault operation at a certain warehouse from her intel. | ” |
| <Background black> | |
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| "The hibernating mountains carry smokestacks high," "And the tracks run hauling my home with creak and cry" "I found an acorn rolling in the gutter all alone, and right by a rivet rusted all of its chrome..." | |
| <Background 1> | |
| [A group of Victorian Royal Army soldiers led by a Lupo codenamed "Horn" enter a warehouse. Horn reaches out to her teammates.] | |
| Horn | We've entered the warehouse. Investigation team, report status. |
| Triangle | Leader. Vital signs to the southeast. Seven shelves away from you, moving within one meter. |
| Horn | Number of heads? |
| Triangle | One. |
| Horn | Any Originium response? |
| Triangle | None for the time being. |
| Horn | Good. Hold your positions. |
| [Horn signs off.] | |
| Horn | Bagpipe? |
| Bagpipe | Got it! |
| Horn | What are you looking for? |
| Bagpipe | Doesn't it sound like someone's singin'? |
| Horn | Don't get distracted. This means our target's guard is down. Keep to the plan. Wait for my signal, then you charge. For now, keep moving in. Five, four, three... Ready– |
| [Horn and Bagpipe breaches the room by busting the door open...] | |
| Bagpipe | Bunker destroyed! |
| [...spooking a young male Feline inside the room.] | |
| Panicked Youth | Ack– *cough* *cough* *hack*... Wh–what's going on? All this smoke out of nowhere! |
| Horn | Don't move! Stay where you are, raise both your hands up! |
| Panicked Youth | I–I... you're... Victorian soldiers? |
| Bagpipe | What do you mean by that? Aren't you Victorian too? |
| Panicked Youth | Er... |
| [The young Feline looks around before running away.] | |
| Horn | He's looking to run. Cello, watch to intercept! |
| Bagpipe | Leader, he's not headin' for the exit, he's turned back– |
| Horn | !! Triangle! Target heading for the back shelves! If you pick up any Originium response, open fire immediately! Everyone else, form behind my shield! Quick!!! |
| [Horn and the rest of the squad pursue the young Feline, but Bagpipe breaks off...] | |
| Horn | Bagpipe, what are you doing?! |
| [...and attempts to flank the young Feline to catch him by surprise.] | |
| Bagpipe | – |
| [Bagpipe collides with the young Feline who drops something as he falls to the ground. Bagpipe picks it up and covers it with her body, believing it is a bomb.] | |
| Bagpipe | I'm coverin' it! Everyone, run! |
| Horn | You– |
| Bagpipe | ...! |
| Triangle | Leader, no Originium response. That's not a bomb under Bagpipe. |
| Bagpipe | Oh! False alarm. |
| Horn | And the target...? |
| Bagpipe | Sorry, I knocked him a little hard. He won't be standin' for a while. |
| Horn | And what of the boxes? |
| Bagpipe | I'll take a peek. All potatoes and carrots, and cauliflowers too! I squashed 'em flat. Shame, they seemed just fine for eatin'. |
| Horn | ...... Stay alert. |
| Bagpipe | This one, this one, and this one... they're all the same. Leader, it's all produce and grains in here. |
| Horn | Triangle, watch for anyone else nearing our perimeter. Oboe, you search the warehouse with Bagpipe. Signal on any discovery. Cello, take this man stuck on the floor and tie him up. |
| [Horn's squadmates pinned the young Feline to the ground.] | |
| Panicked Youth | Urgh... |
| Horn | Right now, sir, we're going to need you to answer a few questions. |
| Panicked Youth | I–I don't know anything. I'm here for sorting the potatoes. |
| Horn | Are you from County Hillock? |
| Panicked Youth | Yes... |
| Horn | Have you heard of any spectre force? |
| Panicked Youth | Spectre... what? *cough*, *cough* *cough*... Doesn't force mean people like you lot, all the soldiers? They took Lowry, Julia and Chris away... is it–is it my turn now? |
| Horn | I want you to calm down. Listen. We have people who saw a batch of Originium goods enter this warehouse late last night. And now, those goods aren't here. You need to give me an explanation. |
| Panicked Youth | Explanation? That's what you're looking for? You're not going to just hang me? I–I... *pteuch*. |
| Bagpipe | Hey! What are you spittin' around for? You've gotta care about hygiene! |
| Horn | Any leads? |
| Bagpipe | None, it's potatoes everywhere. If our information wasn't wrong, then they must work a sight fast. |
| Horn | Alright. Bring him. He definitely knows something, he's just not willing to open up. |
| Panicked Youth | There it is... you're all the same! Dying to find faults in all of us, torturing us... you Victorian oppressor beasts! |
| Bagpipe | Eh? Again? He thinks callin' another Victorian "Victorian" counts as an insult? It's flyin' over my head. |
| [Triangle reaches out to Horn.] | |
| Triangle | Leader, incoming. |
| Horn | How many? (Prepare to break up.) |
| Bagpipe | (Yes, Leader.) |
| [Horn and her squad split up, but...] | |
| Triangle | Update, Leader, they seem to be our own. |
| [A Victorian Royal Army captain walks into the building...] | |
| ??? | They're in here. |
| [...followed by soldiers who surround Horn and her squad.] | |
| Victorian Soldier | ...... |
| Bagpipe | (Leader, we're surrounded.) |
| Horn | (Going by the numbers, yes.) |
| Bagpipe | (If you listen to the voices, there don't seem to be too many left outside. If I crack the wall by me, then we've got our chance!) |
| Horn | (Don't get hasty.) |
| ??? | I see you've had a very fierce confrontation in here. |
| [Horn approaches the captain.] | |
| Horn | Rita Skamandros, 7th Frontline Infantry Battalion, 2nd Tempest Platoon Leader. |
| ??? | Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Skamm... Skamandros. |
| Horn | My name isn't too easy to remember. You can call me Horn, Captain. |
| ??? | Very well, Horn. I'm Kelly, Louis Kelly. I'm sorry, codenames aren't our style. |
| Horn | Captain Kelly, you and your troops are presumably also here to investigate this warehouse. |
| Captain Kelly | Correct, we've received the tip-off too. |
| Horn | Then you ought to understand how grave this situation is. A great deal of illicit Originium goods were stolen off a military transport a couple months ago, and ultimately came to vanish in this region. |
| Captain Kelly | Ahem... |
| Horn | I need not remind you, Captain, with this much ordnance, coupled with recent thefts in surrounding counties–if fallen into felonious hands, the menace posed will reach far beyond County Hillock. |
| Captain Kelly | Good, thank you for the run-down. I understand. |
| Horn | And we're very thankful for your cooperation. |
| Captain Kelly | Hill! |
| Adjutant Hill | Sir. |
| Captain Kelly | Take this young man... this suspect back to camp. |
| Bagpipe | What? It was mad for us gettin' this man as our lead! |
| Adjutant Hill | Sir, her spear is obstructing fulfillment of my duty. |
| Captain Kelly | Er... |
| Horn | ...... Bagpipe, let it go. |
| Bagpipe | But our mission– |
| Horn | –We're on Hillock land right now. |
| Captain Kelly pulls a handkerchief from his pocket, and wipes the sweat on his forehead. | |
| Captain Kelly | Very glad we could persuade you, Lieutenant. You and this young Vouivre lady, and all others present... Ahem–you must be certainly worn out by your hard journey, dashing here from Londinium. |
| Horn | It's our duty as soldiers of Victoria. |
| Captain Kelly | Yes, quite right. Now, if you still have intention to operate in County Hillock... |
| Horn | We're obliged to continue tracking the thieved Originium goods. This is an order from Londinium. I imagine Colonel Hamilton would see sense too. |
| Captain Kelly | Of course, of course. You may accompany me back to camp. |
| Bagpipe | Leader, do we really have to give him up to them? They have to be doin' this on purpose! Ever since we touched foot on the outskirt plate, they've been followin' right behind! Right until now, just as we caught him– |
| Horn | "Stationed troops of the Empire have a responsibility to address any threat to public safety that arises within their station." They haven't violated any code. |
| Bagpipe | Ugh... alright. |
| Horn | Captain, he's yours. As per code, we may also take part in the interrogation–we hope you recall. |
| Captain Kelly | Ha, hahah... yes, quite in line with code. |
| Panicked Youth | N–No... let me go! Don't take me! |
| Adjutant Hill | Heh... |
| Panicked Youth | Help me... save my soul! I haven't done anything... I don't know... Aaarghhh! |
| [The young Feline resists to be taken into custody by Hill, forcing the adjutant to knock him unconscious.] | |
| Captain Kelly | Hill... |
| Adjutant Hill | Tara rabble like him always do make a scene like this. |
| Captain Kelly | Take him away. |
| Bagpipe | Ugh, really! What gives them the right! Leader, I think... that wee Feline wants us to help him. He's scared to death of goin' with them.) |
| Horn | (......) (Triangle?) |
| Triangle | Here, Leader. Still in position, outside in the same tree. They haven't noticed me. |
| Horn | (Good. Take the reconnaissance group, and keep investigating along nearby transport routes. If you find any leads, immediately report back.) |
| Triangle | Understood. Are we notifying their barracks? |
| Horn | ...... No need. Be sure to defend yourselves. |