>>5180454
>Don’t react to his rant
>Point out that you’re not his confessional booth, either
>Tell him to not be so hard on them; the transition’s just as annoying for them as it would be for anyone else involved
>Inform him that you just learned to let it bounce off you as time went by
>Concur; they could use a stay at a finishing school
>Write-In

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I'd like to put in an apology to all people following this quest. I genuinely forgot about it. Hopefully this will make things right.

>>5180456
>Concur; they could use a stay at a finishing school

>>5180456
>>Inform him that you just learned to let it bounce off you as time went by

>>5180458
Archive?

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Project%20Wingman

Sorry, this is the archive for people who are new/forgot. All the combat rules are in the first thread.

>>5180456
>Concur; they could use a stay at a finishing school

>>5180454
test

>>Write-In
listen here kitten ive been dealing with the coats ever since i got hired by amaterasu and if they want me to fly more and and get more time with elaine and the other ais then sure but the other pilots washed out because they had the same attitude as you not working together with the ais and bitching and moaning about coats so you got two options suck it up or washout

>>5180454
>>Inform him that you just learned to let it bounce off you as time went by

Fuuuuuuuck, never thought I'd see this live again. Good to see it back.

>>5181516
It totally slipped my mind when I moved down south.

Sorry, had to make the drive back down to Nilai yesterday. Saw my cat for the first time in a while. It was actually kinda heartbreaking seeing him try to rush after me, but I couldn't bring him to the dorms.

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>Concur; they could use a stay at a finishing school

Despite how [i]whiny[/i] your fellow squadron member sounded … you couldn’t particularly fault him for being so after being exposed to the non-stop barrage of the ex-Amaterasu employee kind. Even with your experience, you knew just how irritating they could be, whether by design or lack of intent. You [blue]concur[/blue], unable to find any compelling grounds to disagree with Kitten, further emphasizing that the coats could use a stay at a finishing school to make their mutual dealings less of a chore than they should be at all. Not that you’d act on it practically, of course; at the end of the day, you still knew who was in charge of keeping the girls up in the air, and the last thing you needed dodging lock-ons in a dog-fight was finding your attunement rate rapidly dropping prior to a split-second counter move. That didn’t, however, mean that you weren’t of the opinion that they could afford to turn it down a notch.

There’s only so much that one could endure.

‘[i]Definitely[/i],’ comes Kitten’s grunt of agreement, concurring with [i]your[/i] concurrence. [green] Seemingly satisfied with your aligned opinions, he lifts a spoon and jabs it in your direction, smirking empathically. If nothing else, you’d built some common ground on your mutual irritation with the coats’ lack of personal space and self-awareness.[/green]

Common ground was always a good place to start with these things. After all, nothing bled camaraderie like co-workers coming together to talk shit about another co-worker. Office toxicity permeated the human race with its own category of infection, for better or for worse.

‘There’s only so many times that someone can hear the same damn thing before you get fed-up,’ Kitten grumbles, biting into his triangle of toast (You notice that it was self-cut rather than served in such a way). ‘It’s not like I’m … well, not like I don’t know I’m lagging behind everyone else, but it doesn’t really help my ass when you’re going on and on about how you “had a more selective filtering process” and how you can’t get “anything done”. I didn’t wake up with the intent of jumping into a cockpit just to have a bunch of needles shoved into my brain as a pre-launch check.’

You cock an eyebrow, wondering what he had meant by such a statement.

Kitten sighs, shaking his head. ‘Calibration and attunement, right ...’

You nod, realizing that he’d meant the [green]PSYCO modules[/green].

‘How’d you put up with all that junk?’ he inquires, tenting his hands as his frown deepens. ‘Must have been super annoying to have to have to wake up every morning to that nonsense.’

>>5181998
>Shrug indifferently
>Slyly dig that he’s a lot more neurotic than he’d previously impressed.
>Tell him that the AIs being good company more than made up for it; in fact, you actually enjoyed having Elaine, Tessa, Florence and the rest
>Joke for him to lie back and think of his country
>Tell him the coats didn’t make it any more bearable, but they are, at the end of the day, doing their jobs so that you and he could do yours
>Inform him it gets easier the less you try to fight back against the system; the AI modules operate on cooperation, not a fight for dominance
>Write-In

>>5182001
>>Tell him that the AIs being good company more than made up for it; in fact, you actually enjoyed having Elaine, Tessa, Florence and the rest

>>5182001
>Tell him that the AIs being good company more than made up for it; in fact, you actually enjoyed having Elaine, Tessa, Florence and the rest

[red]Testing[/red]

>>5182005
You might have a roaming IP

>>5182006
It's weird, because I posted/am posting on my Mac. It should be okay even if I post from another physical location.

[b]Testing one more time.

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>Tell him that the AIs being good company more than made up for it; in fact, you actually enjoyed having Elaine, Tessa, Florence and the rest

‘Can’t say the same here,’ Kitten responds, more of an opinion than an outward disagreement of your own anecdote. ‘Don’t particularly like the idea of something else dictating my performance outside of my own two hands.’

You quickly swallow your mouthful of cereal, a response at the ready.

>Ask him if it’s the two-pronged experience of both the coats and the assignment souring his experience
>Answer that it’s only that way because he’s making it that way
>Outline that Florence isn’t dictating what he isn’t his intent in the first place, that she’s there to help him achieve his targets, not take away from them: it’s teamwork.
>Concede that you had your own misgivings starting out; it just takes getting used to
>Joke that Florence could probably worm her way into his good graces if he took the load off him on the ground with regards to the coats than up in the air with regards to his flying
>Ask him if he had this opinion regarding Amaterasu’s project, considering how closely his government worked with the PMC
>Write-In

>>5182037
>I didn't know you could fly by flapping your hands.

>I didn't know you could fly by flapping your hands.

Kitten narrows his eyes, slightly, cocking an eyebrow as he sets his spoon back down.

‘For someone who’s flown through actual life and death situations with his own hand on the throttle, you’re a lot more comfortable putting your destiny in the hands of apparatus and equipment than I thought you’d be.’

>Respectfully—and patiently—inform him that Elaine and the others aren’t “equipment”
>Remind him that you’d already proven your point in your last encounter; whether he chooses to take that as a lesson or ignore it is on him
>State that everything’s a team effort up in the skies, whether it be Elaine, Tessa and the AIs or the squadron as a whole; everything has to click or nothing works and that the principle applies here
>Casually state that it’s his mentality and his pride that’s hindering him more than Florence is
>Tell him it’s precisely because of those situations that you’ve learned to keep the faith in Elaine and the others … and that you’re affording the same courtesy to him.
>Write-In

>>5182077
>>Respectfully—and patiently—inform him that Elaine and the others aren’t “equipment”

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>Respectfully—and patiently—inform him that Elaine and the others aren’t “equipment”

‘Alright, alright, fine, line crossed, I get it,’ he retracts, apprehensively raising his palms. ‘You can’t convince me that any of this is really going to be any good for us up in the sky in the long run … hell, the short run. You’re arguing the case for the computer scientist and the software engineer to take over a domain where gut instinct and split-second decisions are made on your terms; there hasn’t been a single engagement in history that’s been decided on pure processing power … especially up there. Doesn’t help that everything that we are, they’re just copying and committing to memory instead of actually innovating.’

You mention, with some pointedness, this time, that Kitten had basically described the average student. Of course Elaine and the others would be as much: they were learning as they went. There was no way to expect anyone—not even an artificial intelligence with billions in investment capital—to emerge out of a dynamic situation an immediate expert … and even Jackpot and the rest had marked up just how vital the role of pilots—real flesh and blood aviators—were in regards to Amaterasu’s program. They weren’t designed to learn and replace, but learn, adapt, respond and supplement. The whole basis of the program was built around the concept of the human factor being a two-edged sword that needed a temper and a firm hand around it. The best pilots had their limitations … and so did computers and the transistors and wires that made up their innards. It wasn’t about clashing fists to bring out the winner on a plate: it was about working together to achieve an end-result.

‘There’s a difference between having someone nagging you when you’re trying to make an S-split and someone who’s given you a designation and an objective. I consider the former ballast, not an asset.’

Still keeping your cool, you place both your elbows on the table, furrowing your brows but not otherwise indicating the rope left on your patience. Instead of putting him in a choke-hold, you point out that the same applied to the engineers, scientists and the support crew for the planes: that in essence, one could quantify them just as much as anyone else … means to ends, numbers and schedules: mechanical, automated. As much as you couldn’t stand the coats, you still considered them vital to the operation, and that if you could afford them the courtesy of acknowledgment, the same went for Elaine and the others.

Ultimately, you point out that Florence is on his side just as much as the coats were, regardless of whether he perceived them as such. That fact stood, independent from perception.

‘The SU-57 probably feels the same way about me.’

>>5182143
>Amusingly point out his acknowledgment that Florence has her own opinion about him is a good place to start
>Flatly tell him that that sort of thing is kind of inevitable when you put out the equivalent of a terrible first date
>Tell him he’s allowed to think however he thinks, but that in your experience, terrible synergy’s only going to make things worse
>Offer him the perspective that he’s a grown man and that if he didn’t learn that he was going to work together with people he didn’t like, he should probably go back to school
>Wonder how you’d both arrived here from complaining about the coats
>Say nothing
>Write-In

>>5182146
>Amusingly point out his acknowledgment that Florence has her own opinion about him is a good place to start

>>5182146
>Amusingly point out his acknowledgment that Florence has her own opinion about him is a good place to start

>>5182146
>Amusingly point out his acknowledgment that Florence has her own opinion about him is a good place to start

The first date quip is pretty on the nose, too.

Also hell yeah, glad to see you running this again. You gonna rotate this more regularly with your other quest? If so, I'm game. Whatever you have planned, your quests are fun so I don't mind.

>>5182146
>>Amusingly point out his acknowledgment that Florence has her own opinion about him is a good place to start

>>5182143
>Amusingly point out his acknowledgment that Florence has her own opinion about him is a good place to start

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>Amusingly point out his acknowledgment that Florence has her own opinion about him is a good place to start

Kitten snorts, downing his yogurt in a single gulp. ‘If you say so,’ he returns, almost neutrally. ‘Going back to the main topic, though … can’t really say that I’m looking forward to spending the next eleven hours having them yapping into a microphone and bringing up my alleged inadequacies. Someone needs to put them in their place.’

You shrug, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with that last sentiment.

‘Nothing really gets you boiling, huh, Wizard?’ Kitten infers, shaking his head as he pulls his elbows off the table. ‘You fly like a madman, but you’re probably as milquetoast as anyone could come off as.’

You mention, pointedly, that the circumstances surrounding your presence here didn’t really give you much wiggle-room to play the “bad boy”; something that you, in return, infer that Kitten was throwing around much too much for a soldier of his experience and discipline. Kitten, in response, lets out a chuckle, almost allowing the jelly to dribble from the corners of his mouth as he takes your words in, cocking one eyebrow dropping his spoon into one of the bowls. If you had to take a guess as to just what he was communicating at the moment, you’d settle your description somewhere between incredulity and genuine amusement. He doesn’t seem angry, however.

‘Touche,’ he responds, wearing a friendly look as he dabbed his lips.

You decide to press on, asking him about other, less topical matters. Kitten really isn’t that bad a person to have keep company; despite his rather dismissive and one-track nature, he doesn’t really come off as arrogant, despite his confidence in his flying skills. In fact, throughout the course of your breakfast, you find him actually inquiring more about you … and letting out the occasional whistle of awe and curiosity, with particular focus during your time as a participant over the Falklands, as a member of the The Intervention Unit and the Special Operations Platform, praising your own exposure to such extensive variations of conflict while lamenting his own lack of exposure. Kitten further reveals that he only really made the cut flying patrols and escort runs over conflicted borders, but had never really properly participated in a full-scale exchange of air power between two sides as you had … and certainly not at your tender age.

‘It’s one thing to ace everything in a controlled environment, right?’ he goes on, both elbows on the table and leaning in to better get his point across. ‘It’s a whole different thing to apply it in actual conflict. All that conjecture gets thrown out the window with a well-placed drop.’

You neither agree nor disagree.

Sometimes failures really were just temporary set-backs.

‘Can I ask you a question?’

You glance at your watch.

Maybe one more would be just fine.

‘What's your opinion on the monarchy?’

>>5184203
>Inform him you don’t really have one.
>Joke that the Queen’s pretty enough to probably get the popular vote in a ballot.
>Tell Kitten that your opinion about it matters little: you’re a prisoner. If he wanted a proper one, he should be asking the citizens.
>Politely decline any opinion and discourage any follow-up; you don’t really care for politics
>Answer, simply, that you think that she’s nice enough. Or rather, that that was the impression you’d received upon your meeting … slap not-withstanding.
>Accuse him of trying to dig up the details on your failed endeavor.
>Write-In

>>5184206
>>Politely decline any opinion and discourage any follow-up; you don’t really care for politics

>>5184203
>Complicated... the former King was personable enough but you didn't get an opportunity to talk policy and your last encounter with the Queen was end like the first episode of a Romcom.

>>5184220
correction
> your last encounter with the Queen ended like the first episode of a Romcom.

>>5184211
>>5184220
Flipping a coin.

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>Politely decline any opinion and discourage any follow-up; you don’t really care for politics

Kitten nods, a small breath of understanding escaping his nostrils as he does so. ‘Yeah … probably a stupid thing to have expected you to,’ he says, pressing the tips of his fingers and his thumbs against one another in a motion that you took as one of reflection and contemplation. ‘Considering what you’ve been through, you’ve probably had more than enough of people prying into that little half-shell.’

You clarify that it wasn’t so much about your own experiences with the monarchy that gave you such a dismissive opinion, truly; it was more the fact that you just didn’t really care for political opinions or the back-and-forth between where one stood in the realm. You were—are—after all, at the end of the day, just a man with his AI partner taking to the skies and hoping to get by. You didn’t really have time to hop on to message boards or sit in front of a terminal keying in how right and wrong others were in what they believed in.

There were better things you could afford to do with your time.

Kitten smirks at your statement, rubbing his knuckles into his palm.

‘Yeah, there would be,’ he concurs, closing his eyes and letting out one last sigh. ‘After living through the Two-Hundred Days of Fire up close, bickering about which chicken-shit political wing you want to dangle to death from probably seems tame.’

>Inform him you don’t particularly like hearing the Federation’s fall mentioned so casually.
>Sigh and communicate that you regret ever divulging that you’re an ex-Federation refugee.
>Darkly joke that if the country isn’t careful, they’d be running the risk of falling into that pitfall just as your country did.
>Shrug nonchalantly
>Write-In

>>5184726
>>Darkly joke that if the country isn’t careful, they’d be running the risk of falling into that pitfall just as your country did.

>>5184726
>Darkly joke that if the country isn’t careful, they’d be running the risk of falling into that pitfall just as your country did.

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>Darkly joke that if the country isn’t careful, they’d be running the risk of falling into that pitfall just as your country did.

Kitten stiffens, pushing himself slightly away from the table, taken more than merely aback of what you had to say. You wonder for a moment if you’d really taken it too far with such a morbid attempt at humor … but immediately turn away from such considerations with the realization that if anyone could actually string together a joke about the Two Hundred Days of Fire, you were most certainly earned the right to do so.

The fall of the Pacific Federation—in its absolute entirety, embers to dust—was made on the wings of madness and self-righteousness. You held no illusions on the perception just how loathed your former nation—never mind the sin of association—was through the lens of history. Even without the Cordium Calamity cementing its position as a vacuum of justifiable antagonism in recent history, you’d have to be completely ignorant to be unaware of just how much the Federation had been throwing its weight around in the decades—in the centuries—building up to Cascadia’s desire for independence.

Maybe at some level, what you had said wasn’t really that far off the truth of your own intent.

You’d seen it happen once … and you didn’t want to see it happen again.

It really is a simple truth, then. One for all who had lived to see the fruits of a tree that they had not sown for themselves.

‘Casting quite a big net with that assumption, aren’t you?’

>Reply with a quiet smile
>Muse that being sardonic is how you get through most nights
>Lightly inform him that humans are creatures of habit … especially bad habits
>Concede that you are, but it’s really just a joke at the end of it all: no one in their right mind would have it in them to pull what the Federation did
>Joke even further that when this country burns to the ground, he can start cracking wise about it, too
>Write-In

>>5184788
>Lightly inform him that humans are creatures of habit … especially bad habits

>>5184788
>>Muse that being sardonic is how you get through most nights

[red]Testing one last time

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>Lightly inform him that humans are creatures of habit … especially bad habits

That one gets you a chuckle. Kitten eases a little bit more into his seat, shaking his head. Despite his headstrong nature, you find yourself somewhat … tolerant of the man sitting across the table. Neither condescending nor irritable, aware of his own boundaries before trying his luck tagging onto your own, you’re able to, at least thus far, able to come to an acceptance in being part of the same Squadron. While not without moments that actually had you—in the most literal sense—banging your head against the control panels some thousands of feet up, you take solace that, on the ground, you could actually string together more than a few casual shakes of conversation without antagonizing one another. At the very least, you could cut out that he allowed you the same wiggle room regarding perspectives as he did his … and being a former mercenary, that was just about enough for you to be comfortable having him coming up on your right.

In your line of work, having enough to go by was a good day.

‘Well, I guess if that’s about it,’ Kitten starts again, smiling tightly as huddles the empty bowls and plates on his serving tray together, utensils fully cleansed of his breakfast setting. ‘I think it’s just about time to get back to that—’

‘Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, gentlemen.’

You look up from your seat, the looming silhouette of Garm Squadron’s official second-in-command: Scarface.

‘But there’s been a … development.’

>Sigh reservedly
>Roll your eyes sarcastically
>Get up and salute, ready for the assignment
>Write-In

>>5184830
>Get up and salute, ready for the assignment

>>5184830
>>Sigh reservedly

>>5184830
>>Get up and salute, ready for the assignment

>>Get up and salute, ready for the assignment

>>5184830
>>Get up and salute, ready for the assignment

>>5184830
>Get up and salute, ready for the assignment

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>Get up and salute, ready for the assignment

The lights dim as the display comes to life, this time showing a grid clear of any distinguishable indicators.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJaMjkvQe8A

The whole Squadron—save Solo, your Captain, who is nowhere to be found—is present, with most of them seated in their usual spot. Colonel Semensov is nowhere to be seen, either. Scarface, a folder bursting with paperwork tucked underneath one arm. He glances around, tugging slightly at his collar before finally moving to address the room.

‘Before we start, I’d like to give a moment to acknowledge that Wizard there took less time to commit to the adherence of the hierarchy of rank than all of you. As far as I’m concerned, if it weren’t for his current … official state of existence on this base, I’d be writing up a recommendation right now.’

‘Put your panties away, Thierry,’ T-Bone snipes, his thick drawl sounding almost exasperated at having to say it at all.

Scarface—who you note is in possession of the moniker Thierry—narrows his eyes, glaring at T-Bone. T-Bone doesn’t look away.

‘Sir, you called us in here … what do you mean by a development?’

Kitten’s all too ready to play the level head of the class.

‘The last couple of weeks have been a sucker punch for the malcontent forces,’ Scarface begins, clicking the prompter. ‘The successful elimination of their reinforcements along the Iberian Exclusion Zone and the naval fleet has left whatever pockets of resistance that remain into a hibernation that we hope to be permanent. That said, I wouldn’t have called for this meeting if it were all going as smoothly as expected. The Hazard remnants, as you may know, had taken to hiring mercenary forces to supplement their cause. The success of our operations in the last couple of weeks has, unfortunately or fortunately, had a domino effect on their operations. With Hazard’s men being wiped out, they’re without a right proper paymaster to, and I quote, cover their cost of doing business.’

‘That’s the mercenary’s life, isn’t it?’ Wight speaks up, tenting her fingers.

Scarface nods.

‘Normally I wouldn’t give a hoot about mercenary ops, but they haven’t been particularly … receptive to the idea of withdrawing without anything to show in the bank, especially not with the loss of a whole flight squadron under their command.’

You frown, wondering just where you—oh.

Everyone turns around in their chair, fixing you with accusatory stares and bemused smirks.

>Shrug silently.
>Protest that it was a combat situation and that the bylaws allowed you to knock them out of the sky as much as it cleared them to do the same.
>Mention pointedly that, if anything, a merc squadron that couldn’t make the most of a four-on-one advantage was due a retraction and disbarment on the grounds of incompetence, anyway.
>Shrink into your chair in embarrassment.
>Write-In

>>5200030
>>Mention pointedly that, if anything, a merc squadron that couldn’t make the most of a four-on-one advantage was due a retraction and disbarment on the grounds of incompetence, anyway.

>>5200030
>>Shrug silently.

>>5200030
>Shrug silently.

>>5200030
>>Mention pointedly that, if anything, a merc squadron that couldn’t make the most of a four-on-one advantage was due a retraction and disbarment on the grounds of incompetence, anyway.

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>Shrug silently.

Apparently satisfied with your non-reaction, the rest of Garm Squadron turns their attention right back towards Scarface, whose hand was now out-stretched and indicating the displayed grid. The display blinks and morphs in shape, forming a series of crevasses and peaks that takes a dark green hue.

‘The mercenary units aren’t feeling so agreeable with the prospect a full-on retreat without at least some sort of compensation packet, but without any valid clients alive to do so, they’re looking for other ways to get a pay-out … which—and I’m quoting intel here—is something that they’re holding the Orleasian Kingdom responsible for. To that, they’ve established an operating front of sorts—’

Three yellow blocks appear on the display, planting themselves in the awkward shape of an uneven triangle, leaning on its side.

‘—just south-west of the Augustovian border and, crucially, within vicinity of several townships in the region. According to the Edict of Legitimacy, a mercenary group is allowed a preset operational doctrine, from engagement to establishment. The standing laws hold them to a full withdrawal in the case of a conflict resolution, through technicality or otherwise, but as things stand, nothing short of a sufficient paycheck’s going to be enough to get them to budge. They want their money and the higher-ups want them gone, but the military can’t really do anything about kicking them out of the country by force because they’re technically not taking us on in—and I quote—“an observably aggressive notion beyond the scope of the contract in question”.’

‘Bureaucracy at its finest,’ you hear Ransom mutter with a snort.

‘That’s not to say, however, that The Intermediary’s particularly happy to see loop-holes being exploited so brazenly. To that, the Ministry of Defense has been allowed to … “borrow” a consultant of sorts from The Intermediary to smooth out the terms of this departure. That’s where we come in.’

The yellow blocks turn red.

‘While the consultant’s doing the smoothing out … we—as a research and development division—will be taking these targets out. Rather than a full elimination of the forces present, however, The Intermediary’s requested that they’d like the unit to be made an example of, not decimated to a man. The Intermediary wants a reputation of enforcement, not free-reign of death sentences. All that being said, it’s up to your discretion once you’re up in the air. Whether you decide to abide by the limits of the request or show them just how well we can exploit our own loopholes, it’s your call.’

The display disappears.

‘This is a single-wing fighter assignment, so—’

‘Do we know anything about the consultant?’ asks Wight.

‘He’s the one that put this forward in the first place,’ Scarface answers. ‘Don’t know anything else aside from his name … Frenken …’

>[Do you remember the name?]
>Move on

>>5200207
>>[Do you remember the name?]
Frenken Stein?

>>5200207
>[Do you remember the name?]

>>5200207
>>[Do you remember the name?]

>>5200207
>>[Do you remember the name?]

>>5200207
>>[Do you remember the name?]
Arnold Frenken, aka Kaiser

>>5200598
I was going to just default this to "Move On" because no one knew the name and just keyed in my GM Prompt without an answer, so kudos to you.

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>Arnold Frenken, aka Kaiser

‘You know the guy?’

No, you didn’t. Not personally, anyway.

It’d be a lie to even consider him an acquaintance.

But you couldn’t forget the name of the man who had a hand in bringing your country to ruin.

Arnold Frenken: Kaiser, the head of the Sicario Mercenary Group.

‘Kaiser? Wait? THE Kaiser? THAT guy?’

The whole room transforms into a murmur of whispers and sighs of disbelief. You’re the net for a catch of glances, brief as they are. Even Scarface, who’d been stoic and professional throughout, has an aura of uncertainty projected, minutely digging his foot into the carpeted floor while the rest of Garm Squadron turns to recounting the events of the Two Hundred Days of Fire. You yourself, however … are unsure of just what you felt. You’d had a front-row seat to the destruction of your home and the displacement of people who you’d called your neighbors and friends to the four corners of the world, and had heard broadcasts of the Sicario Mercenary Group—and Hitman Team’s, above all else—involvement in that catastrophe. Many accused them of pulling the trigger or lighting the fuse … some went above even then, arguing that they’d been the ones to pull the trigger on the Cascadian rebellion’s stand against the Federation.

You don’t know what to believe, except—

‘Sicario Mercenary Group … that’s the one Hitman Team was a part of,’ T-Bone mutters, audible enough to hear but low enough to communicate his discomfort. ‘Nice to know that being a mass murderer opens up decent paycheck opportunities. This character’s really working for the intermediary?’

‘Maybe it’s just a coincidence,’ Kitten rationalizes. ‘I mean … there’s got to be more than one guy on this planet named Arnold Frenken, right?’

However, even his words carried a weight of doubt to them.

‘Like there’s more than one Monarch of the Skies, right?’

Yes.

Yes, that is what you did believe.

It’s almost lucid in quality; the memory, the moment. An F/D-14 covered in grey, dark green and black camouflage patterns darting in and out of the fray, preying on fighters that would have, by all rights, knocked it out of the sky. The image of a WSO in the back of the seat, not sixty feet away from you outside the window of a plane at the hands of your mother, frantically waving their hands in distress as the visor-shut pilot pulls away with what you can’t help but take as a sign of assurance is more than merely embedded in your memory.

‘Settle down, everybody,’ Scarface speaks up, catching the room’s attention again. ‘Going back to the topic, this is a two-man—’

‘I don’t like it,’ T-Bone declares, getting to his feet. ‘Forget hooking on to The Intermediary running interference, this whole damn op reeks. The former head of Sicario? Really?’

Scarface, surprisingly, doesn’t reply.

>Agree in T-Bone’s protest
>Counter T-Bone’s stance
>Sit down
>Write-In

>>5200674
>>Counter T-Bone’s stance
cringeson 1 was reasonable

>>5200702
wrong
pushed my enter by accident

>>5200674
>>Counter T-Bone’s stance

>>5200674
>[Write-In]: "He has experience with mercenaries and corraling them wherever they go, which means they couldn't possibly send anyone better. Even then, a master of the cards needs a deck for every game— and we're being asked to be his cards."

>>5200674
>>[Write-In]: "He has experience with mercenaries and corraling them wherever they go, which means they couldn't possibly send anyone better. Even then, a master of the cards needs a deck for every game— and we're being asked to be his cards."

>>5200702
>>5200716

>>5200721
>>5200725
I guess we have a tie. Let's see where the coin goes.

And we have a decision.

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>[Write-In]: "He has experience with mercenaries and corraling them wherever they go, which means they couldn't possibly send anyone better. Even then, a master of the cards needs a deck for every game— and we're being asked to be his cards."

‘Make no mistake, Wizard,’ Scarface interjects quickly. ‘You’re free to call yourself a card, but you’re one for the Orleasian Kingdom’s deck. Not The Intermediary’s.’

You choose not to respond to that.

‘So shall I take your statement as you willingly volunteering yourself for this operation or are you just warming the air up for the rest of us?’

>State that it was merely a stance that you’re taking; you don’t feel comfortable taking part in this mission whatsoever (Decline Mission)
>Communicate that regardless of what anyone thought of the man called Kaiser, he is where he is for a damned good reason … and as a fellow (former) Merc, his command’s just as good as any. (Accept Mission)
>Write-In

>>5200753
>>Communicate that regardless of what anyone thought of the man called Kaiser, he is where he is for a damned good reason … and as a fellow (former) Merc, his command’s just as good as any. (Accept Mission)

well, we gotta put our money where our mouth is, don't we?

>>5200755
+1.

>>5200753
>>Communicate that regardless of what anyone thought of the man called Kaiser, he is where he is for a damned good reason … and as a fellow (former) Merc, his command’s just as good as any. (Accept Mission)

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>Communicate that regardless of what anyone thought of the man called Kaiser, he is where he is for a damned good reason … and as a fellow (former) Merc, his command’s just as good as any. (Accept Mission)

‘Good man,’ Scarface commends, nodding in approval. ‘I’ll let you have the pick of whichever one of these slackers you want to bring along.’

>Ransom/Sensei
>Scarface
>T-Bone
>Wight
>Kitten

>>5200868
>Ransom/Sensei: "Do you two think you might be up for some fireworks?"
If we're still running with Elaine in the F-15, then the F/D-14 makes for good backup: an air-superiority fighter pairs well with a multi-role interceptor that has good radar support and Tessa should cover a lot of corners.

>>5200868
>>T-Bone
I like the name

>>5200868
>>Wight

>>5200868
>Ransom/Sensei

>>5200868
>>Ransom/Sensei

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>Ransom/Sensei

Garm 03, “Ransom”
<< Not that I’m trying to imply anything, Wizard, but … I didn’t do anything to upset you recently, did I? >>

>Ask him why he’d think that
>Joke that you’re on an anti-capitalist binge and this is your way of acting on your new spot on the economic-political spectrum
>Bluntly answer that you’re above such platitudes
>Communicate that if this about picking him as your wingman for the mission, it’s because you actually trust him and Sensei to have your back
>Tell him to drop the chatter and concentrate on the mission
>Write-In

>>5201117
>>Joke that you’re on an anti-capitalist binge and this is your way of acting on your new spot on the economic-political spectrum

>>5201117
>>Joke that you’re on an anti-capitalist binge and this is your way of acting on your new spot on the economic-political spectrum

>>5201117
>>Communicate that if this about picking him as your wingman for the mission, it’s because you actually trust him and Sensei to have your back

>>5201224
+1

>>5201117
>Communicate that if this about picking him as your wingman for the mission, it’s because you actually trust him and Sensei to have your back

>>5201117
>Communicate that if this about picking him as your wingman for the mission, it’s because you actually trust him and Sensei to have your back

>>5201117
>Communicate that if this about picking him as your wingman for the mission, it’s because you actually trust him and Sensei to have your back

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>Communicate that if this about picking him as your wingman for the mission, it’s because you actually trust him and Sensei to have your back

Garm 03, “Ransom”
<< Oh. I’m, uh … huh, I’m … genuinely touched, Wizard. >>

The F/D-14 dangles about ten feet above and twenty-feet to your left. The evening sun hangs on your shoulder as you brush your thumb against your F/C-15’s joystick, taking a casual route towards the AO. Judging by your bearings, you had about twenty minutes before any sort of engagement … if things maintained their pace.

The evening sun sets on the horizon, a kaleidoscope of light allowing the darkness its due.

Garm 03 WSO, “Sensei”
<< Speak for yourself. I think I’ve been less nervous staring down gun barrels … >>

Sensei’s tone is tight and irritable.

Garm 03 Flight Intelligence, “Tessa”
<< As much as I’d like to play the role of the inattentive, algorithm-compliant intelligence module, I … can’t help but put my doubts as to our presence here as well. Undertaking a military operation is one thing, but if my review of the mission parameters are not mistaken, we’re here as an effective arm for The Intermediary’s authority, as well. >>

Tessa’s doubt spurs Elaine’s hologram into existence. She appears before you, crossing her arms and rubbing the bottom of her chin as she appears to stare into a corner of your cockpit, so locked in her thoughts you swear you can hear the hum of the system’s processors activating to keep up.

Garm 04 Flight Intelligence, “Elaine”
<< You know, the boys in the lab coats always went on about the autonomy of our function being subject to administrative interpretation … and how The Intermediary’s own laws prevent them from exerting their will on existing entities … but I guess this has pretty much proven that there’s loopholes for everything. >>

Garm 03 Flight Intelligence, “Tessa”
<< However, even considering the perspectives, this operation works on enough of a gray area that it could be the subject for argument and be settled by a relay on perspectives over any actual objectivity. The Intermediary doesn’t wish to display any weakness that could possibly set off a chain reaction in regards to the questioning of its true authority; the Orleasian Kingdom, and by extension its government, is adamant in not allowing any threats to its sanctity, and allowing a domestic breach of this scale would only be a failure to recognize its own sovereign rights to defense. >>

Garm 03 WSO, “Sensei”
<< It wouldn’t be the first time red tape won out over everything else. Horrifyingly, I think that that’s as close to a correct answer as we can get in this crazy world. That it’s all sound logic but still terrifying to carry out or let be. >>

>>5202354
>Inform her that at the end of the day, all you prayed for was the blind hope that you had done the right thing.
>Point out that there really isn't much of a grey area in the context of things here: the mercenaries are over-stepping their bounds not for the sake of ideology, but for money. That has to count against them, Intermediary interference or no.
>Concur that sometimes even you had your doubts, but at the same time, you'd learned to live with your decisions, whether they be right or wrong. In this case, though, you're quite certain that there has to be a precedent for treating armed mercenaries on domestic soil as a possible threat; whatever the intentions were, they shouldn't have remained and allowed it to escalate as such.
>Dismiss their concerns; at the end of the day, someone has to do the dirty work.
>Write-In

>>5202364
>Point out that there really isn't much of a grey area in the context of things here: the mercenaries are over-stepping their bounds not for the sake of ideology, but for money. That has to count against them, Intermediary interference or no.

>>5202364
>>Concur that sometimes even you had your doubts, but at the same time, you'd learned to live with your decisions, whether they be right or wrong. In this case, though, you're quite certain that there has to be a precedent for treating armed mercenaries on domestic soil as a possible threat; whatever the intentions were, they shouldn't have remained and allowed it to escalate as such.

>>5202364
>>Concur that sometimes even you had your doubts, but at the same time, you'd learned to live with your decisions, whether they be right or wrong. In this case, though, you're quite certain that there has to be a precedent for treating armed mercenaries on domestic soil as a possible threat; whatever the intentions were, they shouldn't have remained and allowed it to escalate as such.

>>5202364
>>Concur that sometimes even you had your doubts, but at the same time, you'd learned to live with your decisions, whether they be right or wrong. In this case, though, you're quite certain that there has to be a precedent for treating armed mercenaries on domestic soil as a possible threat; whatever the intentions were, they shouldn't have remained and allowed it to escalate as such.

Hey guys, sorry. I lost my OP posting abilities several days back (despite using the same computer). Do you guys have any difficulty reading the << text >>?

>>5202992
nah. it's fine.

>>5202992
its good

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>Concur that sometimes even you had your doubts, but at the same time, you'd learned to live with your decisions, whether they be right or wrong. In this case, though, you're quite certain that there has to be a precedent for treating armed mercenaries on domestic soil as a possible threat; whatever the intentions were, they shouldn't have remained and allowed it to escalate as such.

Garm 03 Flight Intelligence, “Tessa”
<< When you make it a sovereignty issue, there is less stipulation on the matter, I guess … >>

Garm 03 WSO, “Sensei”
<< It doesn’t really change anything about the little hoops my stomach’s doing—and there’s our contact. AWACS link-up initiated. >>

A friendly blip appears on your instruments.

AWACS “Andromeda”
<< We really have to stop meeting like this. >>

>Return a friendly, casual hello
>State your incredulity about how the coincidences just keep piling up.
>Blurt out just how in the world did she get roped in into this.
>Remain professional and key-in your up-link codes
>Joke that you’re open to drinks once the bunch of you are back on the ground
>Write-In

>>5203230
>>Joke that you’re open to drinks once the bunch of you are back on the ground

>>5203230
>>Joke that you’re open to drinks once the bunch of you are back on the ground

>>5203230
>Joke that you’re open to drinks once the bunch of you are back on the ground

>>5203230
>Remain professional and key-in your up-link codes

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>Joke that you’re open to drinks once the bunch of you are back on the ground

AWACS “Andromeda”

<< Only if you’re treating, Garm Four. >>

>Inform her that you don’t mind showing a little appreciation for the overworked.
>Back out; it was only a joke.
>Write-In

>>5205343
>>Inform her that you don’t mind showing a little appreciation for the overworked.
>Write-In
"Bowling alley, Dinner, or bar?"

I dont remember if you used it or not

>>5205346
support

>>5205346
supporting

>>5205346
+1