...
...
??: Ngh...
Letero: Unh... I-I'm alive?
Holding his aching head, Antono Letero gets to his feet unsteadily. He wrinkles his nose at the acrid burning smell that fills his nostrils, and surveys the scene around him. The room is damaged beyond recognition.
Letero: Wow, look at this place... Merita! Merita!
Frantically, Antono looks around the room. Finally, he sees Merita Tajloro's arm protruding out from underneath a pile of rubble.
Letero: Merita! Merita! Hang on, Merita! I'm coming!
Antono throws aside debris and rubble and finds Merita. He sits her up and desperately tries to call her back to consciousness.
Merita: ...
Letero: (sobbing) No... Why...? Merita, you can't be dead!
Merita: I'm not dead.
I love her deadpan. He's freaking out and I imagine her using the same tone she would use to ask for a coffee.Letero: Ack!
Meanwhile, the
Nikusui has apparently managed to survive the asteroid storm that resulted from the moon's destruction.
??: ...read me... Do you read me, Yuri?!
Yuri: Unh... Is everybody all right?
Torlo: Yeah... I guess so.
Ian: Here, let me give you a hand, Kira.
Kira: Th-Thanks, Ian. Ow...
Ian: Are you all right? Are you hurt?
Kira: No, I'm fine...
Ian: ...
As everybody gets back to their feet and sorted out, Valso calls us.
Valso: Yuri! I'm very glad to see that you're all right.
Yuri: Captain Valso... What about Najbaro? What happened there?!
Valso: We're still assessing the damage, but we estimate at least 500,000 casualties.
Yuri: So many?!
It beats 2,000,000, but yeah, Najbaro lacks an atmosphere, so any breach of a dome would result in everyone inside dying of any of the space-related fatalities.Valso: Our forces won the engagement over Ermeno and took back Oricum, but I guess the situation is more like a draw right about now, what with all the military power they still have left.
Yuri: A drew? With all these innocent civilians dead?!
Valso: Now, now, Yuri. With what happened on Najbaro, antiwar sentiment is on the rise in both nations. There's an undercurrent movement towards peace, centered around Mr. Lanco.
Yuri: I see.
Valso: In any case, we're really grateful to you for rescuing so many civilians.
We've set up a temporary evacuation shelter on Ermeno, so please bring the evacuees there.Yuri: Got it.
Valso: And there are still some Kalymnian stragglers within Nova Nacion territory, so be careful, okay?
We're located half-way between Najbaro and Ermeno. We can't go anywhere else than these two destinations, and Monarho is, logically, no longer available.
We've been asked to bring our refugees to Ermeno, but I think there's a few more we still need to pick up...
>>Najbaro
The planet's surface is a cratered mess.
Torlo: What a total disaster! It's a miracle the spaceport is still functioning!
Nia: Thanks to Stelalumo, though, at least we avoided the absolute worst-case scenario.
Tatiana: Do you think Ensign Letero and Ensign Tajloro are still alive?
Yuri: ...
No way to know without checking.>>Tavern
Although its walls are now full of cracks, the tavern miraculously managed to survive somehow. Inside, people huddle together, wrapped in blankets.
Yuri: So many people...
Nia: It looks like this place got turned into a temporary shelter.
>>Najbaro Headquarters
Yuri: Wow. It's completely demolished.
Nia: I guess there's no sense in tryin' to get in.
>>Control Bunker
Nia: The place is covered with rubble, but the entrance is still there.
Ian: Shall we check it out?
Yuri: ...
We're given a decision, but why wouldn't we look?
Yuri: Yeah, I think we'd better take a look, It's dangerous, so maybe just Torlo and I had better go. Is that okay with you, Torlo?
Torlo: Sure thing, my man!
The two head into the bunker.
Yuri: It doesn't look like there's really all that much damage inside.
Torlo: Yeah, I don't think it's gonna collapse or anything. And that's a good thing!
Torlo: Huh? I can't get the control room door open.
Yuri: It must've gotten warped with the impact. Here, hold on.
The two work together and pull the door open.
Merita: Oh!
Letero: It's open! We're saved, Merita!
Yuri: Ensign Letero! And Ensign Tajloro, too?!
Letero: Captain Yuri! You came back for us! I... I knew you would come!
Merita: Huh? You've been complaining this entire time about how they forgot all about you.
Letero: M-Merita!
Torlo: So you've been trapped in here the whole time?
Merita: yes, and I don't think I could've stood it for another minute, all alone down here with just Letero.
Yuri: A-Anyway, I'm really glad you're both safe. We were able to save a lot of lives today, thanks to you two.
Letero: That's good to hear, but first I want to know if you have anything for us to eat. Oh, and until I get new orders from the military, I want to stay on with your ship.
Probably best, you did sort of fire a military super weapon without authorization.Yuri: Of course. You can stay on with us for as long as you like.
Letero: And Merita too, right?
Merita: Hm. Well, the base here is completely out of commission... Why not?
Antono Letero joined your crew! Merita Tajloro joined your crew!We head up the elevator again and get the two settled into their posts. Letero goes back to being our Assistant Mechanic, while Merita replaces Tatiana as our Assistant Operator. They both have
Cool & Calm Lv1, and while Merita is slightly less good at control, she's also 14 levels behind Tatiana. Once she's caught up a few levels, she'll be just as good.
Tatiana gets assigned as our Chart Officer to take advantage of her Navigation skill.
We're done with Najbaro, so we depart and head to Ermeno to unload the refugees that we have stuffed into every available space.
>>Ermeno
When we arrive, the bridge crew discusses the situation.
Ian: Phew. Now we can finally drop off the evacuees.
Yuri: Yeah. I'm glad we were able to deliver them here safely. I was worried about having battles with them aboard.
Torlo: Yuri, can I talk to you for a sec?
Yuri: Sure, Torlo. What is it?
Torlo: Now, you can say no if ya want to, but... Well... I was thinking about givin' some of our food to these people before we drop 'em off. Even at the shelter, who knows when they're gonna get to eat, or even how much food there's gonna be for 'em?
Yuri: You want to give them some of our food, huh?
Torlo: We're talkin' a lot of people here, so it would probably cost us about 2,000 G. But seriously, my man! I'm worried about 'em. A lot of 'em are just little kids!
I think as a street kid, Torlo has a soft spot for people down on their luck.Yuri: ...
You can say no, of course, but it's not like we won't make 2,000 G. in a few battles.
>>Yeah, sure. Let's do it.
Yuri: Yeah, sure. Let's do it. Talk to Accounting, and then distribute some food around.
Torlo: Really?! Ya mean it?!
Yuri: Of course. I wish I'd thought of it myself. Thanks for thinking of it, Torlo.
Torlo: All right! Thanks, Yuri!
Torlo leaves to arrange everything.
Ian: Huh. He can be unexpectedly kind and considerate, that Torlo.
Yuri: Yeah, he's a good guy.
Down on the planet's surface, a new refugee shelter has been set up that we can visit. Before we do that, though, we make the rounds.
>>Tavern
>>Talk to the bartender.
Bartender: I'm sorry. We're so busy trying to feed all the displaced people, I'm afraid we aren't serving any customers right now. You're welcome to just sit and relax, though, if that's what you'd like to do.
>>Talk to your friends.
Conversation #1Letero: Whew, I am so pleasantly full! I finally feel like myself again.
Yuri: It must have been so awful, to be trapped under a mountain of rubble like that.
Letero: But Merita was with me, so I never lost heart.
Merita: You can say that again. You had so much "heart" left, you broke into the storeroom and trashed around, screaming that there weren't any rations in there.
HahahaLetero: B-But Merita! I was only thinking of you!
Conversation #2Pavlou: Man, what a guy.
Yuri: Is something the matter?
Pavlou: That guy that destroyed my ship... That "Terzi" fellow.
Huh, I thought he was in prison.Torlo: Terzi?!
Ian: Huh. I bet they gave him a deal and released him on the condition that he help out with the war effort.
Pavlou: Yeah, probably, huh? I'm in the same boat, so I guess I can't complain, but man! He sure didn't go easy on me. I mean the guy rammed me, for heaven's sake!
That's more aggressive then I remembered him being.Conversation #3Yuri: The Roche limit, huh? I still can't believe that Kalymnos came up with a plot like that.
Torlo: Yeah, with all those innocent people living on Najbaro...
Ian: I saw on the news that the Kalymnian military weren't the ones who came up with the plan to destroy Monarho. It was apparently the idea of the Kalymnos People's Committee, a group of politicians.
Kira: You mean a non-military group got that out of hand?!
Nia: People behind groups like that are far removed from the reality of the actual death and suffering of war. I figure that's why they can be so cold and calculating.
>>Shelter
The evacuation shelter is overflowing with Najbaro colonists, all left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some refugees who were rescued by Yuri's crew call Torlo Adkin over to them.
Torlo: Hey, Yuri. Those guys over there want to give you this. I think it's like a thank-you gift or something.
Yuri: Hm?
Torlo holds out a data plate to Yuri. The evacuees smile at Yuri gratefully.
Torlo: I think it'd be rude not to take it.
Yuri: I guess you're right.
You got blueprints for a Captain's Cabin 2 module!>>Joint HQ
Valso: Ah, Yuri, you're a sight for sore eyes!
Vilchjo Valso and a man Yuri has never seen before greet them.
Ulmo: So you're the crew from the
Nikusui. We're so grateful for your support.
Yuri: And you are...?
Ulmo: Oh, forgive me. I am Luchjo Ulmo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Valso: The chairman heard about your work so far and wanted to personally thank you.
Yuri: There's no need to thank us.
Ulmo: Nonsense. On behalf of the Nova Nacion military, I must insist that you accept our sincere gratitude. After all, you kept casualties at an absolute minimum during Kalymnos' despicable operation.
Oh boy.Yuri: Despicable?
Kira: Yuri...
Yelling at your employer isn't a good idea as a mercenary, Yuri.Kira notices a sudden change in Yuri's mood and hastily tugs on his sleeve. Yuri, however, ignores the signal intended to rein him in, and instead keeps on talking.
Yuri: I think the term "despicable" can apply to both sides, now that you bring it up.
Ulmo: I'm afraid I don't know what you mean.
Yuri: I'm sure you knew the risks of placing a weapon in the middle of a civilian population, Commander. We spacefarers are supposed to follow a code and only battle others of our own kind! Don't you get it? This was all your fault for not following the spacefarer's code!
Yuri puts a lot of importance on this code, as you can see. However...Ulmo: No, we are not subject to any such code. In fact, such codes are really nothing more than an unspoken understanding between outlaws such as yourself. It has no basis in galactic laws or the laws of navigation.
[/i]...others don't.[/i]
Yuri: So you're saying you can do whatever the Grus you want? Is that what you're saying?!
Valso: No, please, wait, Yuri.
Yuri: I'm sorry, Captain Valso, but--
Valso: Please, you must excuse him, Chairman. He is, after all, still a young man, and has the quick temper that young men so often do.
Ulmo: Yes, it would appear so. Anyway, my business is finished here. Now, if you will excuse me.
Yuri: ...
Luchjo Ulmo swiftly exits the War Room without so much as a glance backward.
Yuri: ...
Valso: Yuri--
Yuri: I'm sorry, I guess I made a bad first impression, didn't I?
Valso: Don't worry. Such frankness is, uh, one of the charms of youth.
With things settle, we get down to talking with Valso.
Ian: How are the peace negotiations going?
Valso: Top government leaders are meeting right now to hammer out the details. With nothing certain yet, isolated battles are flaring up here and there, but there are no major military operations as of now.
Yuri: I sure hope they find a way to put an end to the bloodshed.
Valso: Normally, I would say intervention by Elgava would have been the best solution. But it seems there's a certain reluctance on their part to act swiftly.
Yuri: ...
Yuri, of course, knows why.Valso: At any rate, we must remain vigilant until an official cease-fire agreement can be reached.
Radical elements that would prefer not to see an end to hostilities are still violating our territory from time to time. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to patrol the surrounding sectors for the time being.Yuri: Will do.
We head up to the shipyard and take a look at our new modules available.
Two of the fame rewards have also unlocked, Navigating Bridge Lv 5 and Security Room Lv 4.
x
ox
x
ox - Navigating Bridge Lv 5 - Battle Speed +8, Mobility +7
oooxxx
x
ox - Captain's Cabin Lv 2 - Fame +800, Flagship only
x
ox
xxx
oox - Mess Hall Lv 2 - Livability +18
xxx
xxx
ooo - Deflector Lv 4 - Armor +18
xxx
xxx
oox - Security Room Lv 4 - Livability +7, Melee +15
oox
We depart Ermeno.
Yuri: All right, let's ship out. Kira, get permission from Control to leave port.
Kira: ...
Yuri: Kira?
Kira: Oh, sorry. Roger.