Vector continued his search under the reasonable assumption that he would eventually discover someone that he could give a report to who was of sufficient rank, not naked, and not drunk and half asleep. Unfortunately, that proved to be more difficult than he might have figured; all of the subordinate and general ranked girls were nowhere to be found. Either they were all hiding inside tents other than their usual dwellings or they had been called off on some mission.
Knowing no other recourse, Vector made his way to the bathing area. As he reached the outer gate, he'd meet another familiar face, but unfortunately, not one of a high position in the Neo-Shogun's army: the tunic-clad soldier with sideburns, who MachMan had interacted with briefly during the Terror Girls attack, was standing in front of the gate. With his arms crossed and his face stony, he stared straight forward, resembling a statue or a guardsman outside of the queen's castle in Creamland. His eyes slowly went to Vector and his frown tilted into a cocky smirk. "You there! You weren't thinking of coming through this gate just now, were you?" he inquired challengingly, not realizing that Vector could simply fly over it if he wanted to. "Can't let you do that, pal. The First General is bathing right now; that means that nobody is allowed through! If I don't get to see her bathing, nobody does!" he announced proudly, pounding the dirt beneath his feet with the butt of his spear. It seemed that it would be hard to go over now without incurring the wrath of Yasu's #1 fan. "You know that nobody below General rank is supposed to go in there, unless it's for an urgent report. Unfortunately, I NEVER get any urgent reports! The last couple of times I tried to go in there and tell them something, they threw me out! I swear, there really was a wave of Jellies coming at the camp that day, we just took them out so thoroughly that nobody found any evidence!"
The guard went back to staring forward, tensing his eyebrows. A single tear sparkled in one of his eyes, then ran down his deceivingly manly face. "If just I had some report to deliver that was related to a matter of camp security... or better yet, one of the Shogun's missions! Yeah, a mission related report would probably be enough to get me in there!" he concluded, his fists shaking as he drew his lower lip up tight, trying hard not to shed any tears and failing.
Public Neo-Shogun Camp.
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Vector's attempt to proceed was met with resistance from a familiar figure; the soldier simply known as "Sideburns." Vector slowly touched down a few feet from the Navi. The vents in his shoulders and calves clicked shut, choking out the faint glow and mist. The SP rolled his shoulders as his body plates re-aligned properly for ground movement, while his gaze remained locked on Sideburn's face.
He listened to the Navi's decree, which Sideburns seemed all too confident to announce. If it weren't for Mazer's comment about the lack of immediate urgency of the mission at hand, Vector would've simply brushed the Navi off and flowed past him in any manner of ways. Instead Vector continued to listen quietly to the sentry's explanation for the strict security policy, and a very convenient exception to the rule. Said exception seemed to have an emotional impact on Sideburns, like a rare "golden ticket." Vector began to wonder why the Navi was so motivated to report to the General, but thanks to his previous experiences in "unconventional" missions (which all involved the NS, strangely enough), the normally straight-laced, almost naive SP managed to put two and two together.
Though it seemed less than honorable, the situation called for it, and it was for a good cause. "Then it appears fortune is with us, Mr. Sideburns," Vector began, hoping to snap the Navi out of his likely imagination-caused emotional fit. "For I bring word from Sir MachMan, regarding a mission in progress." Vector felt he alone should give the report, and not simply relay the message through Sideburns (where it could be misinterpreted). However, Sideburns did prove marginally useful in the previous mission; leaving him out in the cold seemed needlessly unfair. "I was ordered to report to her personally, but if I must be escorted in, so be it."
He listened to the Navi's decree, which Sideburns seemed all too confident to announce. If it weren't for Mazer's comment about the lack of immediate urgency of the mission at hand, Vector would've simply brushed the Navi off and flowed past him in any manner of ways. Instead Vector continued to listen quietly to the sentry's explanation for the strict security policy, and a very convenient exception to the rule. Said exception seemed to have an emotional impact on Sideburns, like a rare "golden ticket." Vector began to wonder why the Navi was so motivated to report to the General, but thanks to his previous experiences in "unconventional" missions (which all involved the NS, strangely enough), the normally straight-laced, almost naive SP managed to put two and two together.
Though it seemed less than honorable, the situation called for it, and it was for a good cause. "Then it appears fortune is with us, Mr. Sideburns," Vector began, hoping to snap the Navi out of his likely imagination-caused emotional fit. "For I bring word from Sir MachMan, regarding a mission in progress." Vector felt he alone should give the report, and not simply relay the message through Sideburns (where it could be misinterpreted). However, Sideburns did prove marginally useful in the previous mission; leaving him out in the cold seemed needlessly unfair. "I was ordered to report to her personally, but if I must be escorted in, so be it."
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The navi cocked his head to one side skeptically as Vector began, regarding him with a wary glance. He interrupted, looking angry. "Don't think that just any excuse is good enough to get in and see Yasu bathe! It's got to be-" he scoffed, before Vector cut back in to finish what he was saying. His eyebrows had frozen in angry position, but his mouth dropped to a pensive frown, indicating that he was thinking. Finally, he seemed to get what Vector was saying, and raised his eyebrows with light gleaming in his eyes and a stupid smile spread across his face. "A-A mission! That sounds important! Well, you're right, I'm sure whatever mission they gave MurkMan, it was super important!" he affirmed. "I can't possibly keep you out, knowing that, but, doing my due dilligence, I will accompany you!"
Here he paused, before throwing both arms around Vector and clasping them around the SP's back, patting the armor on its back while crying tears of joy onto its shoulders, silently, in case anyone was listening in. He held the position a while, before snorting in his tears, loudly, and pulling an about face. "I'll never forget your kindness, MurkMan's SP. We'll live on in heaven together, after Yasu kills us for intruding on her bath," he reassured Vector, before opening the door to lead him inside the barred area of the complex. With purposeful steps, he strode proudly across the dirt, then beelined straight for the bath, making the critical mistake of running ahead of Vector.
"YASU-SAMA! I'M HERE!" he cried out, throwing open the swinging gate in front of the bath area dramatically and reaching down, like he was preparing to undo his tunic. No sooner had he entered then he was launched back out; some sort of large missile had flown from the bath, instantly smashing his face and sending him careening into the opposite wall, seeming to reduce his nose to a bloody mess as he fell. The large rock clattered uselessly to the side as the soldier was left upside down against the wall, his bare legs sticking out from his exposed fundoshi underclothes. He appeared to be unconscious.
The first general turned in the small, open-air bath, keeping modestly beneath the water and regarding Vector with a cold glare. "I heard the two of you speaking before you came in here. From the way I understand it, you are... some sort of golem that MachMan animates?" she inquired, not seeming to get it at all. "That means that you have no lewd intention by being here. Furthermore, I'm eager for a mission update. Tell me what you've learned," she insisted, leaning her scarred, toned arms and shoulders out of the bath enough to lean over the side.
Here he paused, before throwing both arms around Vector and clasping them around the SP's back, patting the armor on its back while crying tears of joy onto its shoulders, silently, in case anyone was listening in. He held the position a while, before snorting in his tears, loudly, and pulling an about face. "I'll never forget your kindness, MurkMan's SP. We'll live on in heaven together, after Yasu kills us for intruding on her bath," he reassured Vector, before opening the door to lead him inside the barred area of the complex. With purposeful steps, he strode proudly across the dirt, then beelined straight for the bath, making the critical mistake of running ahead of Vector.
"YASU-SAMA! I'M HERE!" he cried out, throwing open the swinging gate in front of the bath area dramatically and reaching down, like he was preparing to undo his tunic. No sooner had he entered then he was launched back out; some sort of large missile had flown from the bath, instantly smashing his face and sending him careening into the opposite wall, seeming to reduce his nose to a bloody mess as he fell. The large rock clattered uselessly to the side as the soldier was left upside down against the wall, his bare legs sticking out from his exposed fundoshi underclothes. He appeared to be unconscious.
The first general turned in the small, open-air bath, keeping modestly beneath the water and regarding Vector with a cold glare. "I heard the two of you speaking before you came in here. From the way I understand it, you are... some sort of golem that MachMan animates?" she inquired, not seeming to get it at all. "That means that you have no lewd intention by being here. Furthermore, I'm eager for a mission update. Tell me what you've learned," she insisted, leaning her scarred, toned arms and shoulders out of the bath enough to lean over the side.
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Vector didn't really know exactly how to react as he quickly found himself embraced by the outwardly grateful Navi. The SP found the situation even more uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by, and Sideburns was still silently crying on to his shoulders. He was about to speak up until Sideburns released him, much to his relief, and declared his thanks before opening the door to the bath house.
"It's "MachMan"..." Vector murmured as he followed; he felt compelled to correct the Navi on the proper pronunciation of his master's name, but had the awareness to recognize the NS soldier wouldn't pay attention at this point.
Said soldier's exuberant announcement was quickly rebuked by what appeared to be a ballistic boulder to the face. Thankfully Vector wasn't in the immediate line of fire, so Sideburn's body tumbled past him and comically smacked against the back wall, while Vector simply watched without so much as a scratch. He looked back in an attempt to locate the boulder's point of origin, to which he only saw General Yasu, mostly submerged and glaring back at him.
Before he could speak, Yasu addressed him, and thankfully didn't find him an intruder deserving a reaction similar to the one directed at Sideburns. Vector bowed politely before responding. "Your assessment of my intentions is accurate, General Yasu. The mission is proceeding on track, Cabal has been drawn out. However, as Sir MachMan and I were getting in position, we encountered the voice of an entity serving someone simply called "the Dream Master." While not immediately concerning, they were actively tracking us as soon as we entered the area, and then requested we perform a task exactly identical to the one we planned: use a weapon to "dissolve" the clothing of female Navis in the area."
He paused to judge Yasu's reaction, then continued. "Cabal also appeared from the very location we encountered the aforementioned voice. It seems like a wildly improbable coincidence, or somehow our plan was compromised before our mission began."
Half expecting a significant reaction, Mazer relayed the most recent developments, mostly to reassure the General. ["We got info on Scavenger, and everyone is returning to base as we speak."] "That said, Ma'am, we just obtained information on Scavenger's whereabouts and all forces are in the process of returning to base. Sir Mach felt this information required your attention, and felt my acting as courier would be a more secure way to deliver the information as opposed to a potentially tap-able comm line."
"It's "MachMan"..." Vector murmured as he followed; he felt compelled to correct the Navi on the proper pronunciation of his master's name, but had the awareness to recognize the NS soldier wouldn't pay attention at this point.
Said soldier's exuberant announcement was quickly rebuked by what appeared to be a ballistic boulder to the face. Thankfully Vector wasn't in the immediate line of fire, so Sideburn's body tumbled past him and comically smacked against the back wall, while Vector simply watched without so much as a scratch. He looked back in an attempt to locate the boulder's point of origin, to which he only saw General Yasu, mostly submerged and glaring back at him.
Before he could speak, Yasu addressed him, and thankfully didn't find him an intruder deserving a reaction similar to the one directed at Sideburns. Vector bowed politely before responding. "Your assessment of my intentions is accurate, General Yasu. The mission is proceeding on track, Cabal has been drawn out. However, as Sir MachMan and I were getting in position, we encountered the voice of an entity serving someone simply called "the Dream Master." While not immediately concerning, they were actively tracking us as soon as we entered the area, and then requested we perform a task exactly identical to the one we planned: use a weapon to "dissolve" the clothing of female Navis in the area."
He paused to judge Yasu's reaction, then continued. "Cabal also appeared from the very location we encountered the aforementioned voice. It seems like a wildly improbable coincidence, or somehow our plan was compromised before our mission began."
Half expecting a significant reaction, Mazer relayed the most recent developments, mostly to reassure the General. ["We got info on Scavenger, and everyone is returning to base as we speak."] "That said, Ma'am, we just obtained information on Scavenger's whereabouts and all forces are in the process of returning to base. Sir Mach felt this information required your attention, and felt my acting as courier would be a more secure way to deliver the information as opposed to a potentially tap-able comm line."
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"'Dream Master?' I've never heard of that one before," Yasu murmured, tensing her brow. "It seems that just as quickly as we build bridges to new allies, we acquire new enemies. Surely this 'Dream Master' is another seeking to threaten our organization and the progress that we've made," she theorized, before motioning for Vectr to continue. Her expression further soured. "Dissolve the clothes of female navis? Petty, useless, and... mannish. This seems less of a threat and more of a ruse," she amended her original opinion. "Still, the news is surprising. They do seem well informed... I don't know how they could have learned of the plan. We only just devised the plan earlier today! As you know, a key part of the unity of the Neo-Shogun Empire is that we all trust those that we and our friends bring into our fold... But still, something stinks. Someone at that meeting, or otherwise, someone watching the meeting, must have leaked information to this 'Dream Master.' But who could it be?" she asked herself, closing her eyes thoughtfully as she pondered. "Hmph. Subordianate Survey has the whole camp monitored, including audio. Since the meeting took place out in the open, she must have a record of the footage. I'll ask that she investigate it closely for anything suspicious."
The further revelation that Cabal might be linked to this "Dream Master", at least as far as appearing in the same room where he'd spoken, caused her to open her eyes again. "Is that so? I wonder if we got some bad information from Meridian... I don't like it. That girl always looks like she's laughing and she says that this Cabal person is too. I never trust a jester," she murmured, although she seemed to have a hard time trusting jokey people in general. "You did well to deliver this in person. If we've got a new lead on Scavenger that may lead us to where she's actually being held, that is as much as we could have asked for. Thank you for the report," she confirmed, nodding slowly. Her eyes suddenly darted from side to side as her frown deepened. "Wait a minute... They're returning to base now? They're not returning to this same location we're inhabiting right now, are they? Please tell your master to beam down into the general area of the base, rather than converging on your current location!" she frantically commanded Vector, rising up from the water briefly and clenching her fists, as if to fight, before realizing the better option would be to stay hidden and promptly submerging herself back up to the neck, which must require her to either lay out flat or at least huddle up her knees. The water didn't seem particularly deep.
The further revelation that Cabal might be linked to this "Dream Master", at least as far as appearing in the same room where he'd spoken, caused her to open her eyes again. "Is that so? I wonder if we got some bad information from Meridian... I don't like it. That girl always looks like she's laughing and she says that this Cabal person is too. I never trust a jester," she murmured, although she seemed to have a hard time trusting jokey people in general. "You did well to deliver this in person. If we've got a new lead on Scavenger that may lead us to where she's actually being held, that is as much as we could have asked for. Thank you for the report," she confirmed, nodding slowly. Her eyes suddenly darted from side to side as her frown deepened. "Wait a minute... They're returning to base now? They're not returning to this same location we're inhabiting right now, are they? Please tell your master to beam down into the general area of the base, rather than converging on your current location!" she frantically commanded Vector, rising up from the water briefly and clenching her fists, as if to fight, before realizing the better option would be to stay hidden and promptly submerging herself back up to the neck, which must require her to either lay out flat or at least huddle up her knees. The water didn't seem particularly deep.
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Vector stood silently as the General spoke, recording her words to pass along to his masters. Thankfully the head general took his report seriously, and revealed some previously unknown aspects of the organization, mainly "Survey." He continued to look the general in the eye dutifully, though he could've easily let his vision wander about the General's figure, which was mostly obscured by the water of the bath, but she seemed less protective of her own decency in the presence of a "golem."
However, his mention of the group's return gave her pause, thinking they'd be warping in to Vector's current location. Vector attempted to reassure the general, maintaining a politely rigid posture. "You shouldn't be worried, General. Sir Mach and Lady Aera will likely return to the area from which they initially departed." He couldn't speak for DragonierMan and his SPs, but he hoped they would've simply jumped back to their original starting points as opposed to his own location.
Mazer was keeping an ear out, and thankfully didn't have to do much to keep his Navi out of the proverbial "dog house," for he simply sent Mach and Aera back to the general location from which they departed; nearby the all to familiar shed where Aera and the other girls had previously shed their clothing in preparation for the mission. Both Mach and Aera beamed in, Aera leading her Navi by several seemingly protracted seconds. Aera was relieved to see her Navi beam in, but was surprised by his new garb. "Wow, what's this?" She quickly put 2 and 2 together from the previous missions, and made an ultimately correct hypothesis; "Is that a SkywriterCross?"
Mach grinned beneath the white silk scarf covering his nose and mouth, and gave her a nod as he responded, "Good eye, it's exactly that. So we have another lead to follow in HadesNet, hm?" Aera approached Mach and gave him a good once over, and traced a finger over the leather-feeling texture of his jacket's arm, and felt the embroidered patch on his shoulder. "Seems to be the case, and I like the look by the way. You're almost as cute as Skywriter herself." she replied, punctuated by a teasing giggle. She wondered how Skywriter would react to seeing Mach in her garb, tailored to his particular style, of course.
["Vector was filling in Yasu with the 'Dream Master' details. I'd leave him be, because Yasu isn't exactly in the right place to receive more visitors at the moment,"] Mazer advised the pair, only partially revealing the details shown to him. If Mach didn't trust his NetOp's judgement, he'd protest, but instead he fell in line. "Got it, we'll stand by here for DragonierMan and his SPs."
However, his mention of the group's return gave her pause, thinking they'd be warping in to Vector's current location. Vector attempted to reassure the general, maintaining a politely rigid posture. "You shouldn't be worried, General. Sir Mach and Lady Aera will likely return to the area from which they initially departed." He couldn't speak for DragonierMan and his SPs, but he hoped they would've simply jumped back to their original starting points as opposed to his own location.
Mazer was keeping an ear out, and thankfully didn't have to do much to keep his Navi out of the proverbial "dog house," for he simply sent Mach and Aera back to the general location from which they departed; nearby the all to familiar shed where Aera and the other girls had previously shed their clothing in preparation for the mission. Both Mach and Aera beamed in, Aera leading her Navi by several seemingly protracted seconds. Aera was relieved to see her Navi beam in, but was surprised by his new garb. "Wow, what's this?" She quickly put 2 and 2 together from the previous missions, and made an ultimately correct hypothesis; "Is that a SkywriterCross?"
Mach grinned beneath the white silk scarf covering his nose and mouth, and gave her a nod as he responded, "Good eye, it's exactly that. So we have another lead to follow in HadesNet, hm?" Aera approached Mach and gave him a good once over, and traced a finger over the leather-feeling texture of his jacket's arm, and felt the embroidered patch on his shoulder. "Seems to be the case, and I like the look by the way. You're almost as cute as Skywriter herself." she replied, punctuated by a teasing giggle. She wondered how Skywriter would react to seeing Mach in her garb, tailored to his particular style, of course.
["Vector was filling in Yasu with the 'Dream Master' details. I'd leave him be, because Yasu isn't exactly in the right place to receive more visitors at the moment,"] Mazer advised the pair, only partially revealing the details shown to him. If Mach didn't trust his NetOp's judgement, he'd protest, but instead he fell in line. "Got it, we'll stand by here for DragonierMan and his SPs."
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Three beams appeared from the sky and lanced into the ground near the sheds. The beams dissipated revealing DragonierMan, Suzume, and Aya. Drago was disguised in a ninja outfit with a design featuring many lightning bolts. Similar to General Vee's, but more conservative. Suzume and Aya, however, were dressed in their very revealing ninja outfits. All three changed back into their armored forms in a flash of light as Drago put his hand to his ear and broadcasted a general signal across the entire camp. {DracoTeam reporting in. Information obtained. Requesting audience. Out.} Why he did a general call instead of a private line to Yasu was anyone's guess. Perhaps he was just an arrogant braggart. Or perhaps it was for some other reason.
He turned to MachMan and Aera. "Ah, you made it back. And I see you put on a new identity like I did. Smart," he complimented his partner in crime. Then he kicked at the dirt. "Though I am getting frustrated at the lack of progress we are making," he said, almost through gritted teeth. He was trying very hard to control his anger it seemed. He tried to wave his comment away with a smile and a movement of his hand. Although the smile ended up looking like a toothy snarl of a dog about to bite someone for stepping into his territory.
"And to top it all off I'm going back to Hades. But before we go there... I suggest we find that HeelNavi I 'recruited' from there," he said while making air-quotes with his fingers. "Perhaps he knows about the people Cabal told us about. And then we can find him," he said with a hint of frustration. He then looked up at the sky and raised and shook his fist at it. "Hear me, SargentSniperMan, you may have forced me to withdraw last time. But some day I will end you!" he shouted to the sky.
He then lowered his head and fist, making a tiny pout. "But, that will be for a later time. He may also know of the individuals we seek."
Suzume walked up to Aera. "Good job on the mission, darling. Your acting was quite satisfactory. I take it you've done this before? Oh, and please hand me back the cloth I lent you when you can. I'd rather not have to go through the trouble to find another one to replace it." Aya stood by silently and tapped her foot a little impatiently, waiting for Yasu to show up.
He turned to MachMan and Aera. "Ah, you made it back. And I see you put on a new identity like I did. Smart," he complimented his partner in crime. Then he kicked at the dirt. "Though I am getting frustrated at the lack of progress we are making," he said, almost through gritted teeth. He was trying very hard to control his anger it seemed. He tried to wave his comment away with a smile and a movement of his hand. Although the smile ended up looking like a toothy snarl of a dog about to bite someone for stepping into his territory.
"And to top it all off I'm going back to Hades. But before we go there... I suggest we find that HeelNavi I 'recruited' from there," he said while making air-quotes with his fingers. "Perhaps he knows about the people Cabal told us about. And then we can find him," he said with a hint of frustration. He then looked up at the sky and raised and shook his fist at it. "Hear me, SargentSniperMan, you may have forced me to withdraw last time. But some day I will end you!" he shouted to the sky.
He then lowered his head and fist, making a tiny pout. "But, that will be for a later time. He may also know of the individuals we seek."
Suzume walked up to Aera. "Good job on the mission, darling. Your acting was quite satisfactory. I take it you've done this before? Oh, and please hand me back the cloth I lent you when you can. I'd rather not have to go through the trouble to find another one to replace it." Aya stood by silently and tapped her foot a little impatiently, waiting for Yasu to show up.
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Mach listened to DragonierMan's words, keying in on his suspected "informant" and some sort of rival. "Got it, nice to have a potential informant. We'll keep an eye out for that "SargentSniperMan" as well," Mach replied as he mimicked the Navi's oddly long name with a slightly awkward tone. His experience with HadesNet was relatively brief, though it was in the Rogue-tier area of the network. He gained some experience and didn't develop any significant foes like his comrade had apparently done.
Aera looked to Suzume as she addressed her; the SP requested she return the cloth previously provided to keep her decency thanks to Mach's actions. "Thanks, same to you; you pretty much hit all the main points with Cabal." She reached down in the somewhat loose collar of her NS uniform, and pulled the aforementioned cloth up and away before handing it back to the SP. "Of course, thanks again for the assist," she said with an approving nod.
Aera looked to Suzume as she addressed her; the SP requested she return the cloth previously provided to keep her decency thanks to Mach's actions. "Thanks, same to you; you pretty much hit all the main points with Cabal." She reached down in the somewhat loose collar of her NS uniform, and pulled the aforementioned cloth up and away before handing it back to the SP. "Of course, thanks again for the assist," she said with an approving nod.
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Suzume took out her bag and took the cloth from Aera, stuffing it in the bag. "Don't mention it. We are allies after all. It just makes sense to help each other out." Aya chuckled. "Not everyone can be as prepared as us. Don't worry, your older sisters will look out for you," she said with a condescending grin. Even though Aera was probably older than the twins, she was being treated like their younger sister who needed their constant help, and smothering attention, in order to function. Although in Suzume's case it was probably more out of good will, than Aya's need to stroke her own superiority complex over others.
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"Good. I'll finish up here and head to the main camp to meet them. You may take your leave now," Yasu finished, nodding once to Vector, before crossing her arms impatiently. It was clear that the limits of common decency were forbidding her from rising fully out of the water before he'd left, regardless of how she might view him. A barely visible twitch tweaked at her brow when she heard DragonierMan's broadcast across the plant, but not quite anger... after all, he was only letting everyone know he had a report to give... but there was definitely some hostile emotion there. Only Vector would see it, however. After he left, the first general would redress in relative privacy.
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DragonierMan let his thoughts on the progress or lack thereof in the search for Scavenger be known, although he held in more of his rage than likely anyone had expected. Aera and Suzume had a brief but friendly exchange, before DragonierMan's call was quickly responded to. It wasn't Yasu that responded; fleet of foot as she was, she could only dress so quickly. Sake had not returned either and even Dee and Escort were taking a while. The one to show up was a possibly unfamiliar woman dressed in an unflattering, gray-purple skinsuit, composed of a shining, latex-like material, with a gray cape partially over it, along with matching gloves and boots. Her figure was nothing to look at and the bands circling her body each had some kind of lenses attached, perhaps reminding MachMan vaguely of the tank he'd encountered earlier. The woman's hair was gray and messy; that was another markedly unattractive feature among others, but it was possible they only stood out that much because the average NS officer was so good looking. Another band strapped across her eyes held two long, telescoping tubes, with bubbled red lenses at the end that seemed to constantly extend inward and outward towards the others she was meeting.
A smile spread across her face, eerily reminiscent of the one Cabal had given earlier. With her mocking smirk, thin but lanky body, and unflattering cloak, she resembled the NP officers in an uncomfortable number of ways. "Greetings... I'm not sure if we've met, formally. It is I: Survey. You can think of me as the surveillance system for this whole base," she introduced herself, giving an overly fancy bow to the group. "Yasu is in the bath and most of the other girls are out on another mission... Damage control, as I hear it. Apparently, there are new information leaks now... someone's spreading about some truly bizarre rumors about the Shogun himself... Well, I don't know everything about it, but it sounds like a real mess. I can only assume it's someone on the inside doing it, because I haven't spotted any intruders lately," she sighed, adjusting her goggles as though her lack of helpfulness was causing her to question her equipment. "But I digress! You guys are already in the middle of your own mission. The First General should be here any second now..."
And so she was; Yasu showed up only briefly after Survey had introduced herself. She'd dressed back fully, although her brown hair and sculpted physique were both glimmering with moisture. "Welcome back... Vector gave me some of the report. All I really need to know now is our next lead," she addressed the crowd. "Before you begin, I should apologize; a recent development has caused me to lose my temper, somewhat, and the Shogun insisted that I cool my head for a bit. Otherwise, I would have been here to greet you more quickly. That is also why most of the other generals and subordinates are missing... Although, Dee and Escort must be taking their time returning for another reason."
Her good eye fell on MachMan, who was dressed up as one of his squad mates, currently. Her frown looked vaguely disapproving. "You two are already that close?" she remarked, crossing her arms and glowering with a smoldering stare. Of course, DragonierMan could turn that observation around in a pretty amusing way if he wanted to. Survey smirked again, half-hiding her face in her cape; it was hard to tell what she was thinking, but Yasu's inquiry seemed to have made a chuckle rise up in her throat. "It doesn't matter," Yasu resolved, closing her eye and turning her head back towards DragonierMan. "Now, deliver the full report and I will present you with your reward."
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DragonierMan let his thoughts on the progress or lack thereof in the search for Scavenger be known, although he held in more of his rage than likely anyone had expected. Aera and Suzume had a brief but friendly exchange, before DragonierMan's call was quickly responded to. It wasn't Yasu that responded; fleet of foot as she was, she could only dress so quickly. Sake had not returned either and even Dee and Escort were taking a while. The one to show up was a possibly unfamiliar woman dressed in an unflattering, gray-purple skinsuit, composed of a shining, latex-like material, with a gray cape partially over it, along with matching gloves and boots. Her figure was nothing to look at and the bands circling her body each had some kind of lenses attached, perhaps reminding MachMan vaguely of the tank he'd encountered earlier. The woman's hair was gray and messy; that was another markedly unattractive feature among others, but it was possible they only stood out that much because the average NS officer was so good looking. Another band strapped across her eyes held two long, telescoping tubes, with bubbled red lenses at the end that seemed to constantly extend inward and outward towards the others she was meeting.
A smile spread across her face, eerily reminiscent of the one Cabal had given earlier. With her mocking smirk, thin but lanky body, and unflattering cloak, she resembled the NP officers in an uncomfortable number of ways. "Greetings... I'm not sure if we've met, formally. It is I: Survey. You can think of me as the surveillance system for this whole base," she introduced herself, giving an overly fancy bow to the group. "Yasu is in the bath and most of the other girls are out on another mission... Damage control, as I hear it. Apparently, there are new information leaks now... someone's spreading about some truly bizarre rumors about the Shogun himself... Well, I don't know everything about it, but it sounds like a real mess. I can only assume it's someone on the inside doing it, because I haven't spotted any intruders lately," she sighed, adjusting her goggles as though her lack of helpfulness was causing her to question her equipment. "But I digress! You guys are already in the middle of your own mission. The First General should be here any second now..."
And so she was; Yasu showed up only briefly after Survey had introduced herself. She'd dressed back fully, although her brown hair and sculpted physique were both glimmering with moisture. "Welcome back... Vector gave me some of the report. All I really need to know now is our next lead," she addressed the crowd. "Before you begin, I should apologize; a recent development has caused me to lose my temper, somewhat, and the Shogun insisted that I cool my head for a bit. Otherwise, I would have been here to greet you more quickly. That is also why most of the other generals and subordinates are missing... Although, Dee and Escort must be taking their time returning for another reason."
Her good eye fell on MachMan, who was dressed up as one of his squad mates, currently. Her frown looked vaguely disapproving. "You two are already that close?" she remarked, crossing her arms and glowering with a smoldering stare. Of course, DragonierMan could turn that observation around in a pretty amusing way if he wanted to. Survey smirked again, half-hiding her face in her cape; it was hard to tell what she was thinking, but Yasu's inquiry seemed to have made a chuckle rise up in her throat. "It doesn't matter," Yasu resolved, closing her eye and turning her head back towards DragonierMan. "Now, deliver the full report and I will present you with your reward."
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DragonierMan saluted and then gave his report. "Aya, playback," he said. Aya produced a small white crystal from her pocket and held her hand out. The crystal rose up a few inches from her palm and then began to spin. An image was projected out from the crystal like a film projector. It was the scene of a closed shop. Aera, Aya, and Suzume were talking to a cloak-clad individual. "The cloaked individual was Cabal," Drago stated for those not in the know. "The twins recorded this while on the mission." The wonders of Net Navigators.
"That's enough," Drago said with a wave of his hand. The hologram turned off as Aya closed her hand around the gem, snuffing out the hologram. "As you can see, this mission was not the end of the hunt, like we had wished." Drago squeezed his fists in another attempt to suppress his building rage. Then after a moment he breathed, relaxed his grip, and continued. "I have been to HadesNet a few times now. I even recruited someone I defeated there into our organization. I suggest we find this HeelNavi I tossed here and ask him about these 'deformed, dark navi' and 'suspicious navi with a skull and crossbones helmet'. Hopefully he will know. However, if he is not that knowledgeable, there is also a Navi named SergeantSniperMan in Hades that we could also try finding. He laid claim to an abandoned factory area and should be easy enough to find. I do place marks wherever I go so as to be able to find those areas again, for when I feel the need to explore them further."
Drago then turned to Survey. "And what are they saying about our glorious leader NeoShogunMan?"
Quote (Playback)
"I don't have a description of the sister," Aya stated. "But given the name and what her sister looks like, she probably looks like a vulture to some degree."
"Like a vulture? Hm! That rings a bell or two..." Cabal chuckled, but then quieted down as Suzume continued the descriptions. "The sister's name is Roc. She looks like a human-bird-thing. Like a hawk or an eagle or something."
Cabal smirked. "And this Roc you mentioned was briefly involved in a string of cons with a criminal named ChronicleMan. That was one of his higher profile crimes, as I recall... it's been a downward slope for him since then. But more importantly, Roc hasn't been spotted alongside him since then, so he must have either fired her or they otherwise parted ways... At any rate, I guess that isn't really pertinent here. Why can't you girls just look for Roc, hm? She's much easier to keep tabs on!" the witch-like navi joked. Aya had more to offer, though, so she piped back down.
"From what I've heard, Scavenger was partnered with two other girls named Idol and Stalker on a mission to drum up recruits at a NetPolice safe-house for unoperated navis. Somewhere during a battle there, all three disappeared. Idol was seen being captured by the NP, with the other two were seemingly redirected upon jacking out. The thing that confused Roc was that the NP used cuffs and a van to take away Idol, so she asked us why the NP would change their methods to take the other two another way. Unfortunately, that lead her to the conclusion that the NetMafia, who specializes in invisible, area-wide jack-out prevention technology took her. So we tracked where she might have been taken and infiltrated a NM hideout. The Mafia individuals there told us that the Police have them. Thus we are here."
Aya seemed to sigh at the end of her speech. "Frankly I am getting tired of the runaround. Somebody has this Scavenger girl and we were tasked to find and deliver her to her sister, Roc. I don't know if the Mafia is lying to us or not, about not having her, but I can really care less at this point. Either we find her soon, or my Master is going to lose his temper and start tearing the entire Net apart looking for this girl. And that is a fate I would like to spare you all from dealing with. So please, if you have any idea where this girl Scavenger is... Please, please tell us." Aya put her hands together and had a tired, yet pleading look on her face. "Or better yet, deliver her to us. I don't know what we can give you in exchange, but a fair trade seems reasonable."
Once the whole description was finished, Cabal smirked, looking amused by Aya's plight. "The runaround? Oh, dear... if conspiracies were easy to solve, they wouldn't be conspiracies! If someone has pointed you towards me, then that's exactly what you're dealing with: a conspiracy," she reminded the two, crossing her arms and not seeming afraid to be annoying, despite being outnumbered. "As for your master, maybe he's a bit out of place in the Empire after all? That sounds like behavior that the Bloodhounds would appreciate, if he's interested in giving them a call..."
Thankfully, her teasing was derailed by Aera pitching in another final important detail. "This safe-house was reportedly managed by an ex-NP member named 'Cranium,' and said safe-house is located in Internet City." She piped in, hoping that bit of extra info helped jog the Navi's memory, or at least show they weren't just chasing leads with little information.
"Okay, okay... So back to the attack on Cranium's orphanage, which was attacked by Idol and two henchmen," Cabal began again, seeming to already vividly recall the details of the situation. "It sounds as though one of those henchmen was this 'Scavenger' you're looking for. Well, I can confirm this for you: none of the three navis, including Idol, ever ended up in Police custody. That said, I can also confirm that Scavenger and... the other henchman, whoever they are... were seemingly defeated in battle. They weren't arrested. If one navi was arrested there, however, chances are that someone was ready to retrieve more of them. They may not have been expecting Mafia navis to be ejected... rather, I'd be surprised if they weren't looking for orphans, who are relatively untraceable compared to operated ones, since no human goes looking for them. Still, while the two 'henchmen' were reportedly the dregs of the mafia, rather weak and low on the totem pole, Idol was known to be quite powerful. The car versus capturing the EJOs... If you ask me, I think we have two different perpetrators. One party was interested in extracting Idol specifically, knowing that she probably would not be ejected, and the other was interested in casting their net wide and gathering whomever dropped from the battle."
"Anyway, all of that is just something to think about! What you're here for is the actual location of Scavenger. That I don't know, but I do have a good lead for you... in Hades Net, at the coordinates I've attached, there have been sightings of a 'deformed, dark navi with bird-like talons and wings', which sounds an awful lot like your missing girl. In the same area, a suspicious navi with a helmet designed like a skull and crossbones has been seen several times. Both of these I know because they were filed as suspicious persons sightings. When you put the two together... that sounds an awful lot like your girl, Scavenger, and her captor, doesn't it? Well, she's either held captive or dead, and I don't believe it could be the latter. One things about conspiracies: they usually err on the side of intrigue. This would be a rather open and shut case if she was dead! Where there's smoke there's fire: if someone's mentioned the jackout barrier redirecting ejections to you, then there must have been such a thing, which certainly makes it sound as though she's now a hostage," Cabal finished, handing the girls coordinate data. "And there you go. Take these coordinates and head for Hades Net... or better yet, get someone else in your organization to do it for you! I think you and your master might be a little... impatient, for the investigative business."
"That's enough," Drago said with a wave of his hand. The hologram turned off as Aya closed her hand around the gem, snuffing out the hologram. "As you can see, this mission was not the end of the hunt, like we had wished." Drago squeezed his fists in another attempt to suppress his building rage. Then after a moment he breathed, relaxed his grip, and continued. "I have been to HadesNet a few times now. I even recruited someone I defeated there into our organization. I suggest we find this HeelNavi I tossed here and ask him about these 'deformed, dark navi' and 'suspicious navi with a skull and crossbones helmet'. Hopefully he will know. However, if he is not that knowledgeable, there is also a Navi named SergeantSniperMan in Hades that we could also try finding. He laid claim to an abandoned factory area and should be easy enough to find. I do place marks wherever I go so as to be able to find those areas again, for when I feel the need to explore them further."
Drago then turned to Survey. "And what are they saying about our glorious leader NeoShogunMan?"
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Vector could sense the impatience in Yasu's tone and body language, so he aimed to make himself scarce quickly. "Thank you, General." he said with a quick bow; as he did so she could probably see some of the slatted armor on his shoulders open and begin to emit a faint blue glow, though it was doubtful she'd have seen the same phenomena on his calves until he turned. With a slight hop, Vector quietly went airborne, and easily vaulted the wall like a performer supported by invisible wires.
On the other side of the wall, Vector nearly touched down, causing some of the dust and loose dirt to be swept out in a circle around him from the force of his deceptively powerful thrusters. With a quick scan of the area for additional programs, possibly "Peeping Toms" taking advantage of Sideburns's absence from his post, then swiftly cruised a foot from the camp floor as he zeroed in on his Navi's position. He arrived at nearly the same moment a familiarly gray Navi made her appearance, if memory served, he and the rest of the group saw the Navi at the conclusion of their Terror Girls mission in the Shogun's chambers.
Vector was ready to report the completion of his mission, but Survey was in the process of introducing herself to the group, so he decided to silently touch down at Mach's side opposite Aera. Both Navi and SP made eye contact with the fractal SP, with Mach giving a slight nod. After that, all three were attentively listening to Survey. She brought up her role as the NS's de facto monitoring system, as well as a "rumor" about NeoShogunMan. The three wondered if it was the little nugget of info accidentally slipped by Aya and Suzume...
Yasu made her appearance soon enough, and made a quick, seemingly disapproving, remark of Mach's appearance before requesting a detailed report. As Aya produced a "playback" crystal of some sort, Mach remarked "Purely mentor/pupil, ma'am." [[i]"Pff, as if."[/i]] Aera teasingly retorted through their inter-program comm-link. Mach glanced slightly towards Aera, seeing a very faint grin on her face. [[i]"Pot calling the kettle black, eh?"[/i]] he quipped back with a grin of his own. The only response he got was a playful elbow to the ribs. Vector didn't really get what was going on, to be honest. As the hologram materialized, it finally brought the three's attention back to the mission at hand.
Mazer was also watching, and noted the utility that playback device, making a mental note to figure out how to obtain/program a similar device himself. At the conclusion, DragonierMan stated his interest to further pursue the hunt for Scavenger, though he didn't appear too pleased they'd yet to produce tangible results yet. "We've been there a couple times as well, and are still game to help out," Mach added, accurately speaking for his group. "Speaking of help, the 'development' you mentioned before, General. Could we be of assistance?" DragonierMan's mention of the rumor gave Mach an idea of what exactly made Yasu so steamed.
On the other side of the wall, Vector nearly touched down, causing some of the dust and loose dirt to be swept out in a circle around him from the force of his deceptively powerful thrusters. With a quick scan of the area for additional programs, possibly "Peeping Toms" taking advantage of Sideburns's absence from his post, then swiftly cruised a foot from the camp floor as he zeroed in on his Navi's position. He arrived at nearly the same moment a familiarly gray Navi made her appearance, if memory served, he and the rest of the group saw the Navi at the conclusion of their Terror Girls mission in the Shogun's chambers.
Vector was ready to report the completion of his mission, but Survey was in the process of introducing herself to the group, so he decided to silently touch down at Mach's side opposite Aera. Both Navi and SP made eye contact with the fractal SP, with Mach giving a slight nod. After that, all three were attentively listening to Survey. She brought up her role as the NS's de facto monitoring system, as well as a "rumor" about NeoShogunMan. The three wondered if it was the little nugget of info accidentally slipped by Aya and Suzume...
Yasu made her appearance soon enough, and made a quick, seemingly disapproving, remark of Mach's appearance before requesting a detailed report. As Aya produced a "playback" crystal of some sort, Mach remarked "Purely mentor/pupil, ma'am." [[i]"Pff, as if."[/i]] Aera teasingly retorted through their inter-program comm-link. Mach glanced slightly towards Aera, seeing a very faint grin on her face. [[i]"Pot calling the kettle black, eh?"[/i]] he quipped back with a grin of his own. The only response he got was a playful elbow to the ribs. Vector didn't really get what was going on, to be honest. As the hologram materialized, it finally brought the three's attention back to the mission at hand.
Mazer was also watching, and noted the utility that playback device, making a mental note to figure out how to obtain/program a similar device himself. At the conclusion, DragonierMan stated his interest to further pursue the hunt for Scavenger, though he didn't appear too pleased they'd yet to produce tangible results yet. "We've been there a couple times as well, and are still game to help out," Mach added, accurately speaking for his group. "Speaking of help, the 'development' you mentioned before, General. Could we be of assistance?" DragonierMan's mention of the rumor gave Mach an idea of what exactly made Yasu so steamed.
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Thankfully, MachMan and Aera were spared further scrutiny by the disapproving general as Yasu's attention was instead turned toward the replay of Cabal's conversation with Aya, Suzume, and Aera. "Hmph, I see," Yasu murmured, after a short period of disorientation; she was having a surprisingly difficult time wrapping her head around the holograms she was seeing. "Well, I for one am glad of this development. Breaking a prisoner out of NetPolice holding would lead to significant strained relationships between our group and the police that we don't need at the moment," she remarked, looking for the positive in the situation. "It sounds like we have our next lead. As for your contacts in Hades, DragonierMan, I'm sure they're significant assets, but that witch was helpful enough to provide some idea of the coordinates already. I believe we'd do best to localize the search to that area. If we can find the navis there, that will be lucky, but I think it is more likely that we'll have to find whatever the navis have been 'visiting' in that area, whatever it is that draws them there. My guess is that either Scavenger, her captor, or both are living there, so I'm guessing there is some sort of holding. The next mission will be to find it. Whether or not you all are on that mission is up to you... At the moment, our forces are stretched thin, with most of the other generals and subordinates investigating baseless rumors regarding our Shogun."
Both DragonierMan and MachMan appeared to want to know more on the subject; her eyes briefly narrowed at DragonierMan, as if silently saying, "I think you know which rumor," before continuing. "Some unknown deviant has been spreading rumors about our Shogun... namely the gender of our Shogun. Specifically, the rumor states that Neo-ShogunMan, our leader, is actually a woman. Of course, there is no harm one way or another, but we can't have people fabricating ridiculous lies about him; it's a short step away from attempting to redefine his motives, give him another identity, or the like. That is why we are currently trying to weed out the rumors with numerous public appearances. The Shogun himself is currently... proving his manhood... in a series of interviews," Yasu assured everyone assembled. Survey nodded, though stayed quiet. "The only ones who aren't out right now are Sake, who could hardly be counted on to testify reliably, Dee and Escort, who were out at the time on another mission, Survey, who was watching the camp, and myself. However, I can hardly sit still at a time like this, so I was just about to leave and take on the others... Only, I required a bath before I could do so," she finished, glowering again as if to dare anyone to bring up the likely reason for that, which was her tendency to work herself into a sweat.
"Regardless, there is no obligation for you all to participate in either damage control or the next mission for Roc's sister. Dee and Escort will be heading out straight away to participate in our damage control efforts, but others should be returning soon; I'll dispatch them on the mission to investigate Hades Net," she finished, crossing her arms again. "Now, I've prepared 5000 zenny and 150 bugfrags each, as reward for the mission completed. If you'd like to be rewarded differently, speak up and I'll see what can be done."
*DragonierMan and MachMan each get 5000 zenny, 150 bugfrags, and 10 faction points*
*DragonierMan gets FXP: 1 Yasu, 1 Sake, 2 Escort, 4 Dee, 3 Cross, 3 Garde, 3 Cabal, 13 MachMan*
*MachMan gets FXP: 2 DimensionMan, 3 Cabal, 4 Dee, 5 Yasu, 5 Escort, and 13 DragonierMan*
A short moment later, Skywriter and Roc returned, the former looking exhausted and the latter looking impatient. Roc proceeded over to Yasu, her frown matching the general's own beneath the visor of her helmet. "That's done! Who the hell cares, though? Why does it matter if the big cheese is a girl or a guy? I'm sick of cleaning up this organization's mess! When are you all going to get off your asses and help me find my sister?!" she roared, getting in the First General's face with her imposing height.
"That is a mission in progress. We've located what we believe to be her whereabouts in Hades Net. Once more of our forces are back, we can organize a team to go and investigate it," Yasu answered, not backing away. "You can thank MachMan and DragonierMan, along with their SPs and the absent Dee and Escort, for that new information."
"Huh? Oh..." she murmured, turning and hiding her fangs, as if only now realizing the others were here. "Thanks, I guess. I'll be a lot more thankful once we've actually found her, though." Yasu decided to take this time to catch Roc up on the details while Skywriter talked to the others.
The navi's face had become bright and cheery upon seeing her old comrades, then slowly adopted a shade of red once she realized MachMan was wearing her clothes. "Hello again, everyone," she greeted them, then turned to MachMan, clutching one arm with the opposite hand as a sheepish smile worked across her face. "Those clothes look good on you! I can imagine wearing something like that myself," she joked. "What are you all up to?"
They'd only have a brief time to answer before Yasu spoke up again. "I believe that the best course of action would be to send another small team out to investigate that area of Hades Net. Speak up if you're available and interested; I don't know what to assume about all of you at the moment, given that everyone's just returned from missions," Yasu barked.
Skywriter gave some small acknowledgement that she was ready to go out again, but that was overshadowed by Roc's own response. "Damn right! If I find that skull-headed navi, I'm going to tear the skin off the rest of them till they're all bones, if they don't cough up my sister's location!" she warned, her sharp, large talons creating a metallic scraping noise as she clenched the fingers of her gloves hard.
Yasu nodded, then gave a rare smirk. "Best of all, I've already received some information... Apparently, navis have been spotted in the area recently. Very recently, in fact. And wouldn't you know: one of them was seen wearing a skull emblem? I'd say this is a good time to seize upon our the opportunity and meet this mysterious captor," she explained, her good eye scanning the faces of the others to see if anyone was ready to volunteer for the mission. Of course, she'd also given them the option to rest just a moment earlier, so they might want to catch up on engagements of their own first. If they did need a break, Skywriter and Roc would probably go on to start searching the areas themselves.
Both DragonierMan and MachMan appeared to want to know more on the subject; her eyes briefly narrowed at DragonierMan, as if silently saying, "I think you know which rumor," before continuing. "Some unknown deviant has been spreading rumors about our Shogun... namely the gender of our Shogun. Specifically, the rumor states that Neo-ShogunMan, our leader, is actually a woman. Of course, there is no harm one way or another, but we can't have people fabricating ridiculous lies about him; it's a short step away from attempting to redefine his motives, give him another identity, or the like. That is why we are currently trying to weed out the rumors with numerous public appearances. The Shogun himself is currently... proving his manhood... in a series of interviews," Yasu assured everyone assembled. Survey nodded, though stayed quiet. "The only ones who aren't out right now are Sake, who could hardly be counted on to testify reliably, Dee and Escort, who were out at the time on another mission, Survey, who was watching the camp, and myself. However, I can hardly sit still at a time like this, so I was just about to leave and take on the others... Only, I required a bath before I could do so," she finished, glowering again as if to dare anyone to bring up the likely reason for that, which was her tendency to work herself into a sweat.
"Regardless, there is no obligation for you all to participate in either damage control or the next mission for Roc's sister. Dee and Escort will be heading out straight away to participate in our damage control efforts, but others should be returning soon; I'll dispatch them on the mission to investigate Hades Net," she finished, crossing her arms again. "Now, I've prepared 5000 zenny and 150 bugfrags each, as reward for the mission completed. If you'd like to be rewarded differently, speak up and I'll see what can be done."
*DragonierMan and MachMan each get 5000 zenny, 150 bugfrags, and 10 faction points*
*DragonierMan gets FXP: 1 Yasu, 1 Sake, 2 Escort, 4 Dee, 3 Cross, 3 Garde, 3 Cabal, 13 MachMan*
*MachMan gets FXP: 2 DimensionMan, 3 Cabal, 4 Dee, 5 Yasu, 5 Escort, and 13 DragonierMan*
A short moment later, Skywriter and Roc returned, the former looking exhausted and the latter looking impatient. Roc proceeded over to Yasu, her frown matching the general's own beneath the visor of her helmet. "That's done! Who the hell cares, though? Why does it matter if the big cheese is a girl or a guy? I'm sick of cleaning up this organization's mess! When are you all going to get off your asses and help me find my sister?!" she roared, getting in the First General's face with her imposing height.
"That is a mission in progress. We've located what we believe to be her whereabouts in Hades Net. Once more of our forces are back, we can organize a team to go and investigate it," Yasu answered, not backing away. "You can thank MachMan and DragonierMan, along with their SPs and the absent Dee and Escort, for that new information."
"Huh? Oh..." she murmured, turning and hiding her fangs, as if only now realizing the others were here. "Thanks, I guess. I'll be a lot more thankful once we've actually found her, though." Yasu decided to take this time to catch Roc up on the details while Skywriter talked to the others.
The navi's face had become bright and cheery upon seeing her old comrades, then slowly adopted a shade of red once she realized MachMan was wearing her clothes. "Hello again, everyone," she greeted them, then turned to MachMan, clutching one arm with the opposite hand as a sheepish smile worked across her face. "Those clothes look good on you! I can imagine wearing something like that myself," she joked. "What are you all up to?"
They'd only have a brief time to answer before Yasu spoke up again. "I believe that the best course of action would be to send another small team out to investigate that area of Hades Net. Speak up if you're available and interested; I don't know what to assume about all of you at the moment, given that everyone's just returned from missions," Yasu barked.
Skywriter gave some small acknowledgement that she was ready to go out again, but that was overshadowed by Roc's own response. "Damn right! If I find that skull-headed navi, I'm going to tear the skin off the rest of them till they're all bones, if they don't cough up my sister's location!" she warned, her sharp, large talons creating a metallic scraping noise as she clenched the fingers of her gloves hard.
Yasu nodded, then gave a rare smirk. "Best of all, I've already received some information... Apparently, navis have been spotted in the area recently. Very recently, in fact. And wouldn't you know: one of them was seen wearing a skull emblem? I'd say this is a good time to seize upon our the opportunity and meet this mysterious captor," she explained, her good eye scanning the faces of the others to see if anyone was ready to volunteer for the mission. Of course, she'd also given them the option to rest just a moment earlier, so they might want to catch up on engagements of their own first. If they did need a break, Skywriter and Roc would probably go on to start searching the areas themselves.
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"Didn't we already deal with these rumors last time?" DragonierMan asked Yasu. "You know, when we went on WNS and were interviewed by Webb. And then found out that Fancy, who was doing that Dream Therapy Service, was the one who was spreading the rumors because of what she saw. And the reason behind those loose lips was because she was being blackmailed by Oni of the Teksqp. My girls dealt with that. They got the blackmail rescinded with the promise of potential talks of cooperation. And you are saying there is more!?" he commented with restrained fury. His building rage was straining himself so much by now, quite visible on his face and muscles, that it was only a matter of time before he burst into some sort of destructive killing spree.
Suzume and Aya were stashing away the rewards in their bags as they saw their master about to burst at the seams. They reached into the bag and pulled out a pair of chains. They held onto one end of the chains and threw the other end at Drago. The chains wrapped around Drago's arms before the girls pulled tight, pulling his arms behind him. He dropped to one knee as he grunted and strained against their binding, almost frothing at the mouth with fury. They strained against his strength as they called to Yasu. "Perhaps you have a mission elsewhere that involves the destruction of your enemies, or the clearing out of an area you wish to later build upon?" Aya asked as she strained to hold on her chain. "I don't think sending him out to rescue anyone is a good idea right now," Suzume said as she also strained to hold Drago in place. "He'd probably end up leveling the area and deleting Roc's sister by accident."
How the twins, tiny as they were, were able to hold someone well out of their weight class at bay was anyone's guess. Perhaps it was an upgrade given to them to hold the dangerous Navi in check. But they probably couldn't do it for long.
Suzume and Aya were stashing away the rewards in their bags as they saw their master about to burst at the seams. They reached into the bag and pulled out a pair of chains. They held onto one end of the chains and threw the other end at Drago. The chains wrapped around Drago's arms before the girls pulled tight, pulling his arms behind him. He dropped to one knee as he grunted and strained against their binding, almost frothing at the mouth with fury. They strained against his strength as they called to Yasu. "Perhaps you have a mission elsewhere that involves the destruction of your enemies, or the clearing out of an area you wish to later build upon?" Aya asked as she strained to hold on her chain. "I don't think sending him out to rescue anyone is a good idea right now," Suzume said as she also strained to hold Drago in place. "He'd probably end up leveling the area and deleting Roc's sister by accident."
How the twins, tiny as they were, were able to hold someone well out of their weight class at bay was anyone's guess. Perhaps it was an upgrade given to them to hold the dangerous Navi in check. But they probably couldn't do it for long.
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Yasu explained the rumors and its significant draw from her focus and temper, but it appeared to be mostly under control for now. However, DragonierMan was fuming to the point of boiling over, apparently he and his team had already dealt with this issue before. While he was subsequently restrained, Mach retrieved their rewards. "It's more than enough, General. Thank you."
Roc and Skywriter also made an appearance, apparently having completed a mission of their own; and Roc wasn't too happy about it. But she seemed somewhat less abrasive upon finding out Mach and DragonierMan had been actively pursuing her sister's whereabouts, then proceeded to get the details from Yasu. In the meantime Skywriter commented on Mach's garb in a joking tone, but with a sheepish expression and a flush of red on her face. Aera almost cooed at the sight, it was just too cute. "I imagined you'd get a kick out of 'em," Mach responded as he gripped the front of his v-shaped collar with both hands as a smirk grew under his mask. Not to leave her question unanswered, he replied "As Yasu said, we've been looking for Roc's sis. Sounds like HadesNet might be our last stop. What's new with you?"
Unfortunately Yasu didn't allot much time to chit-chat, and went back to the mission at hand. Both Roc and Skywriter showed a willingness to take the mission, and the recent intel revealed by Yasu seemed too good to pass up. "You already have our answer, General. We're ready to see this through," he replied, his eyes set on the lead General. Aera gave a thumbs-up to Skywriter with a smile, while Vector gave a sharp nod towards Roc, showing his allegiance. He hoped Roc would recognize he and his team's dedication, and that Roc has learned to trust them, though she shows no outward indication of that.
It didn't seem DragonierMan was up for the task, unless it involved vast devastation of the surrounding area, according to his SPs. Though Mach wouldn't pass up any additional hands for the task, especially two clever SPs and a powerhouse Navi, but he didn't protest their request for a different mission. The Navi's temper could become a liability for a rescue mission, and he already had a Navi filling the "hot-headed brawler" spot on his team roster (Roc).
Roc and Skywriter also made an appearance, apparently having completed a mission of their own; and Roc wasn't too happy about it. But she seemed somewhat less abrasive upon finding out Mach and DragonierMan had been actively pursuing her sister's whereabouts, then proceeded to get the details from Yasu. In the meantime Skywriter commented on Mach's garb in a joking tone, but with a sheepish expression and a flush of red on her face. Aera almost cooed at the sight, it was just too cute. "I imagined you'd get a kick out of 'em," Mach responded as he gripped the front of his v-shaped collar with both hands as a smirk grew under his mask. Not to leave her question unanswered, he replied "As Yasu said, we've been looking for Roc's sis. Sounds like HadesNet might be our last stop. What's new with you?"
Unfortunately Yasu didn't allot much time to chit-chat, and went back to the mission at hand. Both Roc and Skywriter showed a willingness to take the mission, and the recent intel revealed by Yasu seemed too good to pass up. "You already have our answer, General. We're ready to see this through," he replied, his eyes set on the lead General. Aera gave a thumbs-up to Skywriter with a smile, while Vector gave a sharp nod towards Roc, showing his allegiance. He hoped Roc would recognize he and his team's dedication, and that Roc has learned to trust them, though she shows no outward indication of that.
It didn't seem DragonierMan was up for the task, unless it involved vast devastation of the surrounding area, according to his SPs. Though Mach wouldn't pass up any additional hands for the task, especially two clever SPs and a powerhouse Navi, but he didn't protest their request for a different mission. The Navi's temper could become a liability for a rescue mission, and he already had a Navi filling the "hot-headed brawler" spot on his team roster (Roc).
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"Nice history lesson," Yasu responded to DragonierMan, lowering her eyebrows. "Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying." She didn't flinch back when he started acting out, but she did put on an irritable expression that made it look as though DragonierMan's fury was contagious. His girls quickly explained why he was in such a state, but it didn't seem to be making Yasu any more understanding. "As much as it annoys me to admit it, you girls are clearly correct. I'll be the first to admit that, despite our reliance on DragonierMan to do all sorts of tasks, he is really best suited for more dragon-like activities, such as burning villages or testing the fortitude, mental and physical, of others. Perhaps it is best that he takes some time away from my tasks. It sounds like you have a score to settle that is weighing upon you. Perhaps you had best return to NetVegas Net and find him... that sounds like your best bet for semi-productive combat at the moment, given that, as I've explained before, I am currently in the process of rehabilitating our image from warring invaders to respectable faction option."
She waited for a moment, then raised her eyebrows, shooing with one hand. "I am actually serious. It is clearly in everyone's best interest that you blow off your steam with a battle. Begone! Return when you've cleared your head," she finished, giving DragonierMan leave to go fight. "And don't worry... If whatever you do happens to end up being useful to the Shogun's Empire, you will be awarded faction points." With that amusing footnote, she turned her attention back to MachMan and his team. "Now... Thank you for volunteering for the mission. As before, your objective is to find anything that relates to Roc's sister. If you locate a perpetrator that can be linked to the disappearance of Scavenger, I would advise you to remember that they can jack out. Try to watch from hiding, perhaps tail them..."
Skywriter was looking mildly uncomfortable, perhaps thinking what anyone else would in this situation: there didn't seem to be a lot of chance for success, if they were not only counting on happening to find a perpetrator who may or may not exist, but also hoping that the potential perp was going to take them back to some secret hideout. Roc voiced that worry more directly: "This could be a big waste of time. What if they don't show?" she growled.
"Well, remember, we did already hear reports of a "skull insignia" seen in the area. This isn't exactly a densely populated area. Chances are, if you find someone there, you can reason that they're related to the comings and goings of that shadowy, bird-like navi who may be Roc's sister," the First General reasoned. "Above all, think on your feet. I cannot say for certain that this will be a mission that warrants tailing an enemy privately. You'll have to decide what's best as you proceed."
"Hmph. EJO-equipped or not, the captor might talk if threatened by my claws, and the thought that they will pursue them to the ends of the net," Roc ensured the others, smirking confidently.
"... It might be best to allow your commander, MachMan, to make the leader's decisions," Yasu advised, turning her eyes back towards MachMan.
Roc growled, but nodded slowly. "You're probably right... If this was as easy as ripping some guy's face off, I wouldn't have needed to come here to begin with. Just say the word if you need a face ripped off, though, and it's off," she reminded MachMan, pointing one of her razor-sharp fingers towards MachMan.
"Whenever you three are ready, set out towards the coordinates that Cabal gave you. Keep in touch if you need my counsel on anything. Good hunting to you all... I'm off to an exhausting chat with a television personality," she murmured, sounding less than enthusiastic. "... Good hunting to you too, DragonierMan," she finished, perhaps having cooled down a bit, before disappearing in a green beam.
Skywriter gave MachMan a salute, one which Roc did not care to mimic. "Ready to go! Say the word... and share the coordinates," she suggested, seeing as Yasu hadn't distributed them to anyone and, so far, MachMan and DragonierMan were the only ones with the coordinates.
((Mission opening soon in Hades Rogue Net))
She waited for a moment, then raised her eyebrows, shooing with one hand. "I am actually serious. It is clearly in everyone's best interest that you blow off your steam with a battle. Begone! Return when you've cleared your head," she finished, giving DragonierMan leave to go fight. "And don't worry... If whatever you do happens to end up being useful to the Shogun's Empire, you will be awarded faction points." With that amusing footnote, she turned her attention back to MachMan and his team. "Now... Thank you for volunteering for the mission. As before, your objective is to find anything that relates to Roc's sister. If you locate a perpetrator that can be linked to the disappearance of Scavenger, I would advise you to remember that they can jack out. Try to watch from hiding, perhaps tail them..."
Skywriter was looking mildly uncomfortable, perhaps thinking what anyone else would in this situation: there didn't seem to be a lot of chance for success, if they were not only counting on happening to find a perpetrator who may or may not exist, but also hoping that the potential perp was going to take them back to some secret hideout. Roc voiced that worry more directly: "This could be a big waste of time. What if they don't show?" she growled.
"Well, remember, we did already hear reports of a "skull insignia" seen in the area. This isn't exactly a densely populated area. Chances are, if you find someone there, you can reason that they're related to the comings and goings of that shadowy, bird-like navi who may be Roc's sister," the First General reasoned. "Above all, think on your feet. I cannot say for certain that this will be a mission that warrants tailing an enemy privately. You'll have to decide what's best as you proceed."
"Hmph. EJO-equipped or not, the captor might talk if threatened by my claws, and the thought that they will pursue them to the ends of the net," Roc ensured the others, smirking confidently.
"... It might be best to allow your commander, MachMan, to make the leader's decisions," Yasu advised, turning her eyes back towards MachMan.
Roc growled, but nodded slowly. "You're probably right... If this was as easy as ripping some guy's face off, I wouldn't have needed to come here to begin with. Just say the word if you need a face ripped off, though, and it's off," she reminded MachMan, pointing one of her razor-sharp fingers towards MachMan.
"Whenever you three are ready, set out towards the coordinates that Cabal gave you. Keep in touch if you need my counsel on anything. Good hunting to you all... I'm off to an exhausting chat with a television personality," she murmured, sounding less than enthusiastic. "... Good hunting to you too, DragonierMan," she finished, perhaps having cooled down a bit, before disappearing in a green beam.
Skywriter gave MachMan a salute, one which Roc did not care to mimic. "Ready to go! Say the word... and share the coordinates," she suggested, seeing as Yasu hadn't distributed them to anyone and, so far, MachMan and DragonierMan were the only ones with the coordinates.
((Mission opening soon in Hades Rogue Net))
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"We'll make sure he is on his best behavior," Suzume stated as she and Aya pulled DragonierMan with them into a beam of light and disappeared to wreak havoc somewhere else.
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It sounded like their mission may yet again involve a bit of stealth and deception, as their target's specific location and situation was entirely unknown, and any leads could simply vanish at the drop of a hat if spooked/threatened. Roc's worry was valid, but so was Yasu's counterpoint; they weren't expected to begin searching in a city, instead it's a rather sparsely populated area. With the previous worry seemingly dissolved, Roc was raring to get down to it and tear into anyone who gets in her way.
Yasu stepped in to quash the Avian Navi's outburst, but by reminding her of her place in the squadron, and how the rested on her "commander." It wasn't certain Yasu felt any re-earned respect for the Navi in said position of command, and was likely an innate affinity to the hierarchy, but Mach took whatever he could get. His eyes glanced from Yasu before looking Roc in the eye. "And if we do indeed need a face ripped off, you're on deck. But I don't need to remind you what's at stake here. Keep your wits, we may not be the only ones who will pay for a mistake," he cautioned, not breaking eye contact with the Navi until he finished, and Yasu addressed the group.
DragonierMan and his SPs quickly beamed off for a mission of their own, and the rest left to their own devices before starting their mission. Mach returned Skywriter's salute before distributing two copied datafiles of the coordinates provided by Cabal. "Let's get to it. Stay close until we evaluate our surroundings and get a good idea of what we're dealing with."
It was likely Roc would be the first to make the jump, with Skywriter close behind, so they didn't waste time to get to the new mission area. With a brief flash, the Navi and his SPs beamed in a trio of cyan beams up and out of the network.
((To HadesNet))
Yasu stepped in to quash the Avian Navi's outburst, but by reminding her of her place in the squadron, and how the rested on her "commander." It wasn't certain Yasu felt any re-earned respect for the Navi in said position of command, and was likely an innate affinity to the hierarchy, but Mach took whatever he could get. His eyes glanced from Yasu before looking Roc in the eye. "And if we do indeed need a face ripped off, you're on deck. But I don't need to remind you what's at stake here. Keep your wits, we may not be the only ones who will pay for a mistake," he cautioned, not breaking eye contact with the Navi until he finished, and Yasu addressed the group.
DragonierMan and his SPs quickly beamed off for a mission of their own, and the rest left to their own devices before starting their mission. Mach returned Skywriter's salute before distributing two copied datafiles of the coordinates provided by Cabal. "Let's get to it. Stay close until we evaluate our surroundings and get a good idea of what we're dealing with."
It was likely Roc would be the first to make the jump, with Skywriter close behind, so they didn't waste time to get to the new mission area. With a brief flash, the Navi and his SPs beamed in a trio of cyan beams up and out of the network.
((To HadesNet))
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((From HadesNet))
A trio of cyan beams rocketed down from the sky and crashed to the floor below, depositing the Navi and his two SPs on the ground of the NS encampment. While Vector looked entirely undamaged, both Mach and Aera's uniforms were significantly torn or melted. The two didn't appear concerned, they had more important matters on their mind.
While Aera and Vector looked out to see if they could locate Skywriter, who had warped in moments earlier, Mach made a mental recap of the mission. He also tried to determine how he'd explain the tentative partnership with the Terror Girls, but from his experience with the Shogun, he didn't expect the news to bring about an entirely negative reaction. He entirely expected Yasu to chastise him for agreeing to work with the Terror Girls, and agree to Scavenger being barred from entering the NS and potentially useful data being destroyed. That said, he felt he'd rather just deal with it as it comes up, instead of worrying about it.
If anyone managed to locate Skywriter, they'd relocate to her and gather up before proceeding towards the generals' encampment, or towards any significant commotion that suggests NS leadership is present.
A trio of cyan beams rocketed down from the sky and crashed to the floor below, depositing the Navi and his two SPs on the ground of the NS encampment. While Vector looked entirely undamaged, both Mach and Aera's uniforms were significantly torn or melted. The two didn't appear concerned, they had more important matters on their mind.
While Aera and Vector looked out to see if they could locate Skywriter, who had warped in moments earlier, Mach made a mental recap of the mission. He also tried to determine how he'd explain the tentative partnership with the Terror Girls, but from his experience with the Shogun, he didn't expect the news to bring about an entirely negative reaction. He entirely expected Yasu to chastise him for agreeing to work with the Terror Girls, and agree to Scavenger being barred from entering the NS and potentially useful data being destroyed. That said, he felt he'd rather just deal with it as it comes up, instead of worrying about it.
If anyone managed to locate Skywriter, they'd relocate to her and gather up before proceeding towards the generals' encampment, or towards any significant commotion that suggests NS leadership is present.
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MachMan, Aera, and Vector would not find it difficult to locate Skywriter or an authority figure to report the mission to; right near their drop-down point, Yasu had arrived to chastise Skywriter about something or other. A quick look would probably say what Skywriter was being chewed out about: she had warped back in with no new pants, and thus, was elevating the morale of various Neo-Shogun soldiers while simultaneously dropping their motivation to work. "My operator isn't looking right now! He's got to activate it from his side!" Skywriter defended, keeping her legs crossed and her hands over the back.
"Ludicrous! Go into a tent and grab a sheet or something! Walking around like that is like begging these dogs to hump their spears!" Yasu complained.
"Y-Yeah, but you always wear a bikini!" Skywriter countered; she must be feeling snappy, since she'd come to deliver a successful mission report.
Yasu looked aggravated and impatiently, although not downright spiteful, probably due to Skywriter's gender. "This is an official uniform; there is a clear difference," she sighed. Spotting MachMan, she pointed Skywriter towards the nearest tent, then approached. She rubbed her temples while treating them all to a characteristic frown. "Skywriter has given me the report... I wish the mission had gone differently. I'd hope we'd find Scavenger in good condition, but I suppose we should have expected the worst, given how long she was missing. At any rate, it's behind us now. We've gotten a lot of good out of the whole search, between various allies made for the Shogun's army and insight into the activities of that scientist, AlchemyMan. I hope Roc has gotten some peace out of it, although I suspect she hasn't... That is unfortunate. Searching for her sister is one thing, but we can't afford to jump into the NetPolice Headquarters and try to kill one of their officers. Mounting whatever kind of revenge she wants or needs will take time." Of course, Roc was still involved in the process of watching Peace and her sister, but Yasu logically assumed that would be where Roc's thoughts went next.
"As for the Terror Girls and these strange sisters... I hate the Terror Girls, of course, but having their technology and that of those others on our side rather than against us would always be a plus. Still, it sounds like the Terror Girls are weak right now... I'd prefer that they stay that way. I'm not saying to prey upon them while they're still recovering, but we can certainly belay their leader's work on repairing that laser-firing monstrosity again," Yasu mused. "To that end, this new arrangement works out well for us. Roc gets what she wants and the Terror Girls remain under our surveillance for a while. Good work all around. Though, I must ask why you, your squad, and your subordinate all thought it necessary not to refresh your clothes before you returned to the base?" she grumbled. "Finally, we should discuss the matter of your payment. I don't believe you specified what you want, so I'll ask you now: what do you need? Money? Bugfrags? Chips?" Yasu inquired. "I'll give Skywriter's to her once the girl returns with some decent clothing."
"Ludicrous! Go into a tent and grab a sheet or something! Walking around like that is like begging these dogs to hump their spears!" Yasu complained.
"Y-Yeah, but you always wear a bikini!" Skywriter countered; she must be feeling snappy, since she'd come to deliver a successful mission report.
Yasu looked aggravated and impatiently, although not downright spiteful, probably due to Skywriter's gender. "This is an official uniform; there is a clear difference," she sighed. Spotting MachMan, she pointed Skywriter towards the nearest tent, then approached. She rubbed her temples while treating them all to a characteristic frown. "Skywriter has given me the report... I wish the mission had gone differently. I'd hope we'd find Scavenger in good condition, but I suppose we should have expected the worst, given how long she was missing. At any rate, it's behind us now. We've gotten a lot of good out of the whole search, between various allies made for the Shogun's army and insight into the activities of that scientist, AlchemyMan. I hope Roc has gotten some peace out of it, although I suspect she hasn't... That is unfortunate. Searching for her sister is one thing, but we can't afford to jump into the NetPolice Headquarters and try to kill one of their officers. Mounting whatever kind of revenge she wants or needs will take time." Of course, Roc was still involved in the process of watching Peace and her sister, but Yasu logically assumed that would be where Roc's thoughts went next.
"As for the Terror Girls and these strange sisters... I hate the Terror Girls, of course, but having their technology and that of those others on our side rather than against us would always be a plus. Still, it sounds like the Terror Girls are weak right now... I'd prefer that they stay that way. I'm not saying to prey upon them while they're still recovering, but we can certainly belay their leader's work on repairing that laser-firing monstrosity again," Yasu mused. "To that end, this new arrangement works out well for us. Roc gets what she wants and the Terror Girls remain under our surveillance for a while. Good work all around. Though, I must ask why you, your squad, and your subordinate all thought it necessary not to refresh your clothes before you returned to the base?" she grumbled. "Finally, we should discuss the matter of your payment. I don't believe you specified what you want, so I'll ask you now: what do you need? Money? Bugfrags? Chips?" Yasu inquired. "I'll give Skywriter's to her once the girl returns with some decent clothing."