UnderCurrent Arc 6 Web-Novel Cover-Art [https://i.imgur.com/4YVJ0dE.jpg]
Recording Starts.
Ahem, 1,2 and all that ya?
A'ight this thing is recording now, handhelds really can do a bit of everything these days eh?
Hoki-Lass showed me how to get it going, but truth is I actually knew, I mostly just pretend not to know how to use electronics – I mean don't get me wrong, I ain't great or anything but I play it up a bit.
The other pilots and the rest of the crew, well I think its good for them to have a sort of approachable image of me as a dithering old fool ya know, I even play up my accent sometimes to-boot, seems to work.
An image I hope I have solidly shattered with Scarlet if you follow my meaning, heh heh..... Ok that wasn't very funny was it?
But man it's been two great months, for real! The sort of time I love: Peace and Quiet.
Though if you're listening to this you'll probably think I'm mad, ha! For most people in the know, these last two months have been absolutely hectic – Backstabs, doubles crosses, fleet battles that make Operation Deadlight look like child's play – But for us, the survivors of the Tristain Flotilla, its been quiet.
See a little over two months ago, almost in sync with when we were fighting the final battle of Operation Deadlight, a much rumoured meeting was going on, between our enemy TSU-s and the terrorist militia, Remembrance, Scar's old gang.
They actually went and made a deal, a partnership – An agreement that once we, IAFS were wiped out, TSU-s would lobby on behalf of Remembrance for those guys to be recognised as an official nation, rather then their current classification as a terrorist state – 'Course no one actually expected this alliance to last long, 2 whole weeks was all they managed.
Still during those two weeks things were tense, our enemies had effectively doubled in strength – The Tradech got the brunt of it, being chased by vessels from both forces – Alot of Nemo pilots and escort ships lost their lives in those two weeks – I know it's wrong to say this, but I was honestly just glad the Tristian Flotilla was never involved.
But thankfully this combined army didn't hold long, see Remembrance caught wind of the new TSU-s weapon.
We've learned quite alot about that since Deadlight, its massive for a start, the size of multiple cities large. And it's a laser, yup, a trite, contrived, stupid, big-ass laser – How friggin god-awful can TSU-s get?!
Well stupid or not, it was nearing completion and Remembrance decided they wanted a piece of the pie, without warning they launched an all out attack on the force guarding the weapon – But TSU-s aren't quite that stupid, they had been planning a double cross of their own anyway so they were ready.
Roughly 40 Remembrance ships and nearly 60 TSU-s vessels went at it, hard.
Remembrance made up for the lesser number of ships by having nearly double the number of Vijaiks, it was carnage – By far and away the biggest battle of the war so far and we weren't even there, well not exactly...
See, being this is a war primarily between TSU-s and IAFS, you might indeed be rightfully wondering what
we were doing during all this – Well this is where it gets unbelievably, I mean just ridiculous!
So get this 'ight, the Tradech all by itself sneaks in – I mean that literally.
While the two supposed allied fleets were tearing chunks off each other, the Tradech docked with the weapon and used its Casnels to take the control centre hostage, Ha-HA!
Well next thing the enemy knows, their own laser is pointed at them – This is a problem in all sorts of ways – For one thing is only like 93% done or somethin' like that, so if fired it could just exploded and kill everyone for miles upon miles – Worse yet, if it actually did fire successfully it would of been one of the greatest military victories in all of history, wiping out two fleets in one shot!
Suffices to say they all backed off, Remembrance completely disappearing off to who knows where, while TSU-s began rallying every last ship and mech they have back to their HQ.
As for us, the entire IAFS home-fleet has been moved to the weapon's airspace, it is now officially IAFS's headquarters, everything in the fleet is here, even supply and repair type vessels – As I record this, the likes of the Duke of Bannerman have been spending the last month in boardrooms and meetings, negotiating terms, a truce – The laser has finally given us the trump card we needed to make the actually State-Union Goverment take us seriously, TSU-s have handed us victory!
Well, atleast that's what we all thought.... It really has been a very nice two months, just doing our daily routine aboard the ship, enjoying each other's company – Sure we all miss Una and the others we lost like hell but, well, it almost looked like we were gonna get away with it, make it to the end of the war without any more fighting.
Well just between you, me and this tape recording handheld – Seems that was just a pipedream.
Negotiations have completely stalled, over a month of no progress – An inside source passed on the news a day ago, the version that's trickled down as far as me probably ain't that accurate but the message is clear enough;
TSU-s are to come at us with everything they have, to call our bluff, they don't think we will risk firing the laser, heh, maybe they're right – Anyway, should TSU-s fail, if we win that is – Then the goverment is going to send the real navy after us, not a hundred ships – No we're talking 1000s, the TSU Goverment aren't going to let us keep their weapon, they've poured millions, maybe billions into it, they want the disgrace of TSU-s accidentally letting us steal it wiped clean from the history books – No they want this entire war wiped clean.
Scar says I have this bad habit of rambling when I don't know what to say – She reckons I either do it to buy time or because I've simply forgotten what I was talking about – This time its very much the former, I'm sure if you're listening to this, everything I said was tedious and boring, you would after all already know it all, but honestly I don't know what else to say.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Scar wanted us to all do this BlackBox thing, a Will and Testament of sorts – We each record one and upload all 4 to each others machines, so if only one of us were to survive, they'd have all 4 recordings.
We wanted to ask Tomo too, he transferred here after the last battle but he's a broken man – Reminds me of how Sabban was when his squad mates first died, just stays in his room all day – Barely eats, barely trains, probably doesn't sleep much – Just a ghost pilot you sometimes pass in the corridor.
As leader I should probably give him some sort of caution for not keeping up his duties, but hell what would I say? Anyway we decided it best not to involve him in this, so it's just the four of us.
Thing is, I already have a will – Not a very good one but it exists.
I have no property or vehicles, no heirlooms 'cept my teapot but I keep that on my person at all times when piloting, so if I'm dead it's gone – I had written that my books aboard the Fluchtig should be given to Una but poor-lass doesn't have much use for them now, so they'll go to Scar, neither Sabban or Hoki would have a use for 'em.
The rest is just money, but there ain't even that much of that – A soldier's salary isn't mind blowing, I've made more as a lieutenant in IAFS this last half year, then I had in years of being a regular pilot.
Still I have no abode, on shore-leave over the years I've just crashed at the homes of whatever comrade was available or stayed aboard the ship I was on – No house, no family, no hobbies – I guess even a pauper's salary builds up a little under those circumstances, so what I have is split four ways between my fellow pilots and Nate – That's pretty much it.
Unlike Hoki I've no secret documents I could upload here, and god only knows what Abhailen classified info Scarlet might add – But me? I'm just Kolme Nilas, Ivernien – I trained as a fighter pilot for the Ivernia Incident but that ended before I could fight. My fiancé died in the First War, with nothing left for me I joined up with TSU – I have served in the engineering core, then as a pilot for 10 odd years – The Fluchtig is my first time being an officer.
That's it, that's me. Sorry.
I guess, if this is only ever going to be heard postmortiously, then cliché as it is – I might have one or two things left to say.
Hoki-lass, you have got to be one of brightest, most impressive young women I have ever had the pleasure of being acquainted with – You've got an unbelievable memory and your talent with numbers, well it's no wonder you make such a good marksmen.
You've also been the best second-in-command an old man like me could of asked for – You cover my weaknesses, your admin skills, managing of resources and schedules – You do all the boring stuff that no one ever sees but without such things no team could ever stay afloat.
Whether it be in the military or outside of it, you have a bright future lass, I think we all know you're carrying alot of weight right now, alot on your conscious – Not much wisdom I can offer to help you with that but I do atleast hope you know that if the old men in your life are anything like me, they want you to fight for yourself more than anyone else a'ight?
Scarlet, heh, Scarlet... Sun above this is pathetic for a man my age to say aloud, guess I'll just have to try very
'ard to make sure you never have a reason to hear this but, ah, well – Scar the first time I met you face to face, I was absolutely smitten girl.
Now don't get me wrong, alot of that was pure chemicals ya know? And your personality, the constant bickering and verbal abuse, certainly did their best to turn me away – But I'm glad, that we got to spend this last 2 and a bit months the way we have, its been pretty great to have someone like you with me. You might act harsh and cold but not even all that deep down is a woman who cares so much about other people that it always ends up hurting you – And dear lord, if I've died and you're hearing this, I am so, so sorry to be adding to that list of names you carry.
But.... But I ain't gonna! Last Nemo Standing Nilas eh?!
For the first time, in a very long time, I don't think I'd mind having that title and ones like it, I know for you Scar this might just be a fling or a short-term relationship to help us through the current conflict and fair enough – But when this is over, I'm gonna chase ya Lass! Hound ya if I 'ave to – Till you decide I'm worth marrying.
There, said it, ha...ha....
Oh sun above Sab-Lad, must of been a bit awkward to listen through all that to get to your bit eh wingman?
Then again knowing you, you'll of stopped listening a while ago, haha...
Heh, anyway, I don't really know what to say to you that hasn't already been said between us right?
Heck when we met, I'm pretty sure you hated my guts – Even now I'm hardly your favourite person in the world. Still, if this really were my last message to you, I want you to atleast know how much you've meant to me – If it weren't for you I don't know if I'd of made it this far, literally, we both know Hoki mostly wanted you for the Fluchtig and just got me as part of the deal - Bwahahahah!!
Honestly lad I don't really know what to say – As much as I can joke about it, I'm pretty sure if you died I'd be distraught and I can't help but think that beneath it all you'd feel the same if I go down – Well on the plus side I've got no family for you to worry about apologising too so there something – Really lad, you're like a brother to me at this point, so I guess all I can say is stay strong?
Eh, something like that.
There, y'all will have to be happy with that – Sorry it's not more, considering you 3 are all crazy skilled pilots, this is the only one of the four recordings anyone is ever likely to actually hear, so shame I couldn't make it more interesting but you'll have to make do.
Signing off – Kolme Nilas.
............Arm.....This? ,...... Ahhh come on turn off!
This button maybe?
.........
This one?
...............Hoki!?, Hoki come help me, this blasted thing won't turn of--
[Recording Ends]