5 5 301 DialogEnable 1 Squadron Leader So you're one of the newbies? 1
6 6 301 Vera Yes. Nice to meet you. 2
7 7 301 After receiving permission, Vera is now officially qualified to join missions as a soldier.
8 8 201 1 500019 400
9 9 301 1 Construct Member A Military Academy student? Tch, they didn't even send us a graduate? 1
10 10 301 Besides the Squadron Leader, who is studying the files in front of Vera, there are a few other Construct members on the teams, though not all of them are professional soldiers.
11 11 301 Still, in missions such as this one, professional soldiers are always way more valuable than civilian Constructs. To veterans like these, Vera, who has not even graduated, is practically a civilian as well.
12 12 301 Vera ...I'll do my best not to drag everyone down. 2
13 13 301 Vera knows the unspoken rules. She ignores the gazes of the others and chooses to keep a low profile.
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15 15 301 Squadron Leader Good. Everyone else get over here for the briefing. 1
16 16 301 The Squadron Leader turns on the portable holo-projector and marks out several areas on the battlefield.
17 1000 301 Squadron Leader We've got a S&D mission this time, with a medium level of Punishing Virus detected. For Constructs like us, we should be able to survive a few hours in the area without problem. 1
18 18 301 Vera So should we be prepared for a long-term operation? 2
19 19 301 Squadron Leader No. We'll just remain in the safe sections and take out the targets the others missed. 1
20 20 301 Vera Huh? 2
21 21 301 Vera is shocked at the answer she received. Apparently the Squadron Leader is not at all dedicated to completing the mission and instead just wants to take out stragglers.
22 22 301 Vera Wait... Wouldn't this make things harder for the other squads out there, or even make the mission impossible to complete? 2
23 23 301 Squadron Leader Who cares as long as things aren't harder for us? Fight safe and steady, survive, earn merit... that's what our objective should be. 1
24 24 301 Vera But that doesn't make sense. What's the use of merit in times like these? We're Constructs now. That's how serious the virus has gotten. 2
25 25 301 Vera If we don't defeat the Corrupted when we can, we'll be destroyed regardless of merit! 2
26 26 202 1 2
27 27 201 1 500019
28 28 301 1 Construct Member Just follow the leader's orders, newb. He's doing this for our own good. 1
29 29 301 A squad member interrupts Vera's protests and explains to her the reasoning behind the leader's decision.
30 30 301 Construct Member You're lucky to have been appointed to our squad. Boss, it shouldn't make any difference if we tell her about you-know-what, right? 1
31 31 201 1 500028
32 32 301 1 Squadron Leader Yeah, fill her in. That should save us lots of pointless arguments in the long run. 1
33 33 202 1
34 34 201 1 500019 400
35 35 201 2 500182 4 -400
36 36 301 1 Vera You-know-what? 2
37 37 301 Construct Member While we're not sure when it's going to happen, the combat headquarters are preparing to evacuate. 1
38 38 301 Vera Evacuate... You mean abandon the current outer-rim cities? 2
39 39 301 Construct Member It's on a larger scale than that. We're moving base to outer space. 1
40 40 301 Vera Outer space... But do we have enough space stations to hold all the people? 2
41 41 202 1 2
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43 43 301 1 Squadron Leader The space station isn't the point. They've got this massive spaceship. Though it's not up to par to the initial design standards, it's capable of following a certain orbit. 1
44 44 202 1
45 45 201 1 500019 400
46 46 201 2 500182 14 -400
47 47 301 1 Construct Member Of course, there's a limited number of slots. 1
48 48 301 The limited number of slots—that must be the reason for their strategy. They fight to survive and gain merit, so that the people up there will take their contributions into consideration.
49 49 301 So that eventually, they will get to be the privileged few to "evacuate."
50 50 301 Vera shuts up. These people in front of her are certainly not going to change their minds just because of her, so she clenches her fist and turns up the pain receptor thresholds in order to keep her anger under control.
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52 52 301 1 Squadron Leader Anyway, Vera, since you're a newbie, you can just stay in the back and watch. 1
53 53 301 Vera You don't need me on the front lines? 2
54 54 301 Squadron Leader You'd only slow us down from there. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. 1
55 55 301 Vera ...Got it. 2
56 56 202 1 2
57 57 401 2 1502
58 58 301 The time for the operation to begin rolls around, and the squad marches off with their gear.
59 59 301 Vera is the only one who remains, watching over the terminal the Squadron Leader left behind.
60 60 301 There is no point sending an excessive number of units just for a S&D operation, which must be why the Squadron Leader chose this passive approach.
61 61 301 Even if they survive with the contributions to show, those in charge still would not hold them to high esteem if the operation itself failed.
62 62 301 Then the answer is simple. They need to reap the benefits as much as they can while ensuring the success of the mission. Short-sighted, but down-to-earth, these squad members are a war-savvy few.
63 63 201 1 500182 4
64 64 301 1 Vera But... there are two combat zones within this area. And the outer-rim section the squad's heading to should be this one... 1
65 65 301 Vera zooms in on the area map, pans through it and starts outlining various itineraries.
66 66 301 To Vera, whose interests lie in tactical prediction, this process is a effortless one. She marks down the travel route of the Corrupted, including those from the other battle sites.
67 67 301 And that is how she discovers the converging spot of the two battle sites.
