TERRACE Draft - Day 1

[lucetimods]

Who: All Draftees
What: Arrival at TERRACE
When: The first day, from 8AM to the wee hours of the night
Where: TERRACE!
Summary: Information post here
Rating: Varies on thread, please mark explicit material.

This post covers the first day, before the attack. Remember, characters here are not expecting an attack and are under the impression they will be going to Region 1 to fight. During this day, draftees will be restricted to T6 and T7 and not permitted access to other areas.

Be sure to tag this post appropriately: [canon] character name

Comments

[biliruben]

"Alas, I'm not quite so fortunate. I tried to dye my hair blonde once. Awful mess it was, didn't look right at all." He tsked at his own experience. "But no, I've nothing to do with all this. Actually, I'm here on a bit of business, speaking to the Commandant. Important things. Top secret, I'm sure you understand." He chuckled. "But, when I heard you would all be here, I simply had to stick around for an extra day to see you all."

[deathsdoctor]

"Oh. I was going to relay the enclosure's thank yous to you. The extra day was appreciated. Well... maybe you can tell me who to contact to do that." A wry huff as he spreads his hands in mock surrender at top secret. "Not surprising. Well, it's nice to hear relations between you two are improving."

A pause.

"They are improving, right?"

A slight smile. "Gotta say, it's a welcome change to have someone see us off. Has the Organization ever done something this ambitious before?"

[biliruben]

"Please, please! I may be younger now, but I'm still only capable of so many questions at once!" Bil chuckled and set his cane between him, leaning forward on it, back and forth, a bit like a child.

"First off, you would contact the Commandant, but she really, really doesn't like talking to draftees. Honestly, it's a thankless job! You try and provide the personal touch and all you get is shouts of anger, threats, and reminders to think of the children. Even CJ has shied away from it!" Bil shook his head, a nostalgic twinkle in his eye. "But things are always improving. This war effort is proof of it. Why, if this is successful, this will be the greatest victory scored by the organization since the days of The Hero."

[deathsdoctor]

"Poor Mister CJ. I guess even a people person has limits. I guess we'll just have to net her a victory to show our appreciation for more preparation time."

He wraps his hands around his paper coffee cup. Still warm. "You mean Tyr. He's mentioned everywhere, but people rarely talk of him. Shame. You'd think there'd be some stories that could be told to even a enclosure resident's tender ears."

He sobers "... is the war turning much? The people in my enclosure wonder at the dwindling drafts. There's been less lately, but the stakes have seemed so much higher each time."

[biliruben]

"Until this civil war started, the war effort was going poorly. You are correct the stakes have been higher. There was a time we could send a small group of you to individual battlefields, but that time has gone. If this coming battle goes poorly, our resources will continue to dwindle."

[deathsdoctor]

"It's hard to believe the General could lose sway over so many of his followers so quickly. Especially with the war effort going poorly as you said. You'd think they'd want to follow. Unless this new sect has different goals and there always was some hidden friction..."

Law, of course, knows the reason why. Zompano. He's heard the rumors from the servants. Mind control powers. But the scale of people under his sway suggests more...

So he walks a fine line in what he decides to reveal. In what Bil might expect to reach Law's ears and what he actually knows. The cost benefit analysis is constant running. And his poker face, set at concern, is flawless.

"How bad is it, now? With this friction in the enemy ranks, there should be time to recoup some of those losses."

[biliruben]

"Ah, cultist politics are a complicated thing, my boy. You must understand, the General hasn't lost followers. But he never had many to begin with. To say the cultists are organized is misleading! Goodness, if every cultist was under one cause? The organization would be wiped out overnight. But they are divided into many, many sects. Until recently, the General always had the largest one. But now this is no longer the case."

[deathsdoctor]

"Would that be a case of somewhat differing ideologies, would you know? Or merely a disagreement on how to get things done."

His second question has gone unanswered, but Law can only assume it's in a sorry state. He never expected Bil to answer it.

"Regardless, that is... I don't know if I want to call it fortunate that they're killing each other or terrifying that this new group is growing so quickly. The General has more than enough men. Now..." A thinning of the lips. "... how much a threat do you think this new faction is if they win?"

[biliruben]

"They're barbarians. It was always extraordinary the General commanded as many as he did. But if this new faction does win and unite all the cultists?" He remained pokerfaced. The guards shared wary looks behind him, the faces of men who knew exactly how screwed they were in that event. "Well, I shouldn't worry! Once you've claimed Region 1, we'll be in a position to truly weed them out of that jungle they like to swarm in!"

[deathsdoctor]

Overnight, then.

As much as what Bil says and does not say is fascinating, the guards reactions are revealing as well. Maybe it's time to take a gamble. Maybe not.

"You'll excuse me if I remain reasonably concerned given these troubling times. You never quite know what will come. But it sounds like Region 1 is next door to that jungle... their origin point." Which make strategic sense to why they'd want to take it badly... "We're in transit over... 2, was it?" He doesn't know. But there are possible patterns at work, and perhaps the regions are in numerical order as well. "That's what I just heard, anyway. Once you get the jungle, it's starting the endgame."

[biliruben]

"I'm afraid you overestimate our influence. There are entire continents that the cultists dominate. Region 1 was on one such continent. The endgame is quite a ways off."

[deathsdoctor]

A faint mental smile.

"Unfortunately but naturally, I'm afraid, given my ignorance at large. I would ask where exactly things stand, but I have a feeling you're not going to correct me on that point."

[biliruben]

"It would be a question better suited for the Commandant, I believe."

[deathsdoctor]

"As would most questions about military matters. If she's ever in a mood to speak with me, I'll ask her."

Given what he told Law about her, after all.

"Perhaps we should switch to a more pleasant topic. How have you been lately? The last time we met was not as pleasant as this."

[biliruben]

"Well enough, I believe. Busy, of course. Changing the world is an exhausting task, best suited for young men."

[deathsdoctor]

"I would imagine. Hopefully though, you don't have to remain in seclusion any longer. Everyone was quite worried."

The pirate takes a small sip of his coffee. It's grown lukewarm. Even more dreadful than before. But he masks his disgust at the taste.

"I must ask though... would this working towards the future involve what we discussed in June?"

[biliruben]

"Ah, you may have to remind me. I have many discussions about many things."

[deathsdoctor]

"We were speaking about long term relations between Luceti and the Malnosso."

They had also been speaking about the droids, and Law has a few choice observations about that. He finds it interesting that the droids on the draft can be fought off now when they had infiltrated a Rogue facility and not one from the main Organization. That could mean a few things.

And then there was the incident in January. Which he still wasn't sure of.

[biliruben]

"Integration with the organization." That was part of it, now that he thought back. "It is certainly possible. Were you, perhaps, at the battle of Vaskoth? There was a woman there. Carol."

[deathsdoctor]

"No, I wasn't. I was involved with the creation of the cure there, but my role was doing research and simulations back in Luceti and transmitting what we found back to the battle site."

He looks thoughtful. What was it Raine had said? Aa, yes. There had been a schoolteacher back then named Carol. And he had definitely heard details of things going on in Vaskoth as they came, due to his own involvement. Were they the same person? Who knew. Carol wasn't exactly an uncommon name.

"The name is familiar, though. She was running relief for the enclosure there, or so I heard."

[biliruben]

"Ah, well, Carol is a rather extraordinary woman. Relations between enclosure residents and the organization is something of a specialty of hers. Of course, she isn't scheduled to visit Luceti for some years, but ah, I believe I can pull some strings and expedite things."

[deathsdoctor]

"If you could, it would be greatly appreciated." Law's going to abandon his coffee until he can go later to find a microwave to heat it up. "Very recent events have just proved to me that at this time... we're at the point of knowing enough to make decisions that could prove very costly in the long run to a lot of people, but not enough to know or understand the consequences of our actions. Integration might be a ways off still, but I'm sure you'll agree that now some guidance wouldn't be amiss."

There's another thoughtful pause as he lets that sink in.

"There's another person to keep in mind if you can pull those strings. I would understand if the Organization doesn't want to send Miss Carol in alone - it's us, after all. However there's a member of the MSF who is extremely well respected in our enclosure - Specialist Davis. I haven't met a single resident who has had a bad thing to say about him. I would highly recommend him."

[biliruben]

The guards behind Bil exchanged glances, but said nothing. They looked a bit somber.

Bil chewed on a fry thoughtfully before concluding: "Specialist Davis was relieved from his post after being found unfit for duty. I'm afraid he won't be of much use to you."

[deathsdoctor]

"..."

The briefest expression of shock flits across Law's face as he stares hard at Bil first, then at the guards. He doesn't even bother trying to hide it; it would work well to mask the furious round of calculations running through his mind. Because of course, he knew of the Specialist's involvement in one thing... and what the rumors had hinted at.

"... hell. People are going to have a tough time with this. I know I'm having a hard time processing it - I served directly under him on the Tyr's Revenge, as you're probably aware." Second Officer to Davis' First. Captain Fruthers barely left her cabin. "What happened?"

[biliruben]

"I'm afraid I can't say, on account of not knowing myself. The MSF are rather private when it comes to their own members. The Commandant doesn't even like me using her name, after all."