๐
......
They... for the moment...
Sarkaz... must...
...You will... what?
She is heavily injured... If we don't do something now...
...If... he... finds this place... We're out of time...
...Kal'tsit, give me a hand.
...*Sigh*. Fine.
๐
โโ!
Where am I...?
On a landship.
Landship...?
How are we still alive?
If you're gonna screw around, can you leave me out of it?
*Sigh*...
Long story short, we got rescued.
So where are we?
The main convoy. This is the landship we were protecting. Now it's hauling our wounded.
Looks like it's still under construction. I can't tell how it all fits together. Weird.
(But the shadow I saw... It was... Some questions are better left unanswered.)
What about Hoederer?
He's with the client... Err, he's... talking to the boss of this place.
Right. If you're still hanging around here, Hoederer must be fine.
Tch.
So what's the deal with 'the boss of this place?'
You look nervous. And I don't need to blind myself with Originium Arts to figure that out.
Don't tell me you think I'm hanging out here because I care about you?
Definitely not. So what's the reason?
*Sigh.*
I guess I just feel bad for him.
Who knows what kinds of monsters are in that room with him...
๐
......
Try to relax. Nervousness will only drag down our efficiency.
You did the best you could. The leak was our fault.
We don't really look for fault on the battlefield. I know who I'm dealing with.
Good.
But I can't say I expected that commander... to be one of Her Majesty's own.
You're... a lot stronger than I expected. I haven't had a chance to thank you yet, Dr. Kal'tsit.
Theresa's the one you should be thanking.
What was that about me?
โโ!
Your Majestyโโ
We're not in Kazdel anymore. Let's not stand on ceremony. We're here to sit down and talk, Hoederer.
By your command.
And, the one in the coat there must be...?
......
I hope you don't mind. It's very important that the Doctor be well aware of any new intelligence.
Thank you for understanding.
๐
......
(It really is a landship... But it's pretty big, huh...?)
(There are parts that look new, but some bits are so old they're practically falling apart...)
(I think... this is from Rim Billiton...)
Oh! S-sorry. They're still building this place...
Dr. Kal'tsit said... not to go any deeper. It's dangerous...
Uh huh...
Okay. I'll go somewhere else.
Thanks.
What a nice kid. With those ears, she's definitely not Sarkaz.
Come to think of it, that one lady who sucks even more than Ines, that doctor, she isn't a Sarkaz either...
What's going on here? I look around in the middle of a battle and nobody's Sarkaz?
How could you be jammed again?!
Huh?
Happy place, Closure. That's only the seventh short circuit today...
THEโโSEVENTHโโSHORTโโCIRCUITโโ
Kind of embarrassing for a genius engineer, huh? What if we invested in a new set of doors? That'd save some time!
Oh... well, we have so many wounded to care for. Their provisions are rather expensive, in both manpower and resources...
And wouldn't giving up be an even bigger embarrassment...?
Waaaahhhhโโ
Okay! Your Majesty!
Give me three days! If I can't fix it in three days, I'll take the whole security control system apart and reinstall it!
Re-reinstall? You can do that?
I dunno who built these mysterious systems and then buried them out in Rim Billiton somewhere, then if we can't figure it out...
We'll just have to replace it with something we can! Easy peasy!
Well... I'll leave you to it then.
Roger that!
...*Sigh*.
Rhodes Island... how long will it be until you're up and running...?
Rhodes Island?
Oh...
You're... I remember, you were with Hoederer...
You've regained consciousness? Your wounds were quite serious.
(Did I scare her...?)
I'm W, the mercenary. I'm looking for Captain Hoederer and I kinda got lost...
Be careful where you wander. This place is still being built. There are a lot of exposed wires. You could get shocked.
But I have a feeling such caution is second nature to you, no?
......
W, was it?
You may call me Theresa.
โโ
Hoederer had words with the Doctor after our meeting. I believe he should be back in his room in Medical by now.
Don't make them worry. You ought to head back too.
Theresa... Your Majesty?
Oh? Well, we're not in Kazdel anymore. No need for titles.
Okay, Theresa... Majesty, why were you wrestling with a door just now?
And that short girl there is an engineer, right? I mean, it's just a door...
It's not just a door.
O... kay?
How many things are there totally unworthy of my attention?
......
So what's Rhodes Island?
Oh, you heard that.
That is the name of this vessel. Although it has not yet been officially christened... that is the name I wish for it.
Maybe it's just my whimsy. The Doctor and Kal'tsit may reject its 'true name.'
...Heh. True name? For this landship?
You saw. This vessel wasn't built in Kazdel.
Searching deep in the oldest records we have, I came across that name...
'Rhodes Island.'
I'm not actually sure what it means. Hm... Kal'tsit should know more.
But that is what I want to name it. It already had a name, after all.
(Her Majesty Theresa fought against the Regent who usurped Kazdel... She personally brought together more than half the Sarkaz clans...)
(...and she's fixing a door herself?)
......
What's wrong? You have an odd expression on your face.
Would it be considered improper to laugh in front of Your Majesty?
N-no... But neither Kal'tsit nor the Doctor are the laughing type... and the warriors have too much on their plates for such frivolity.
I would quite like it if you all would smile.
But that is perhaps an extravagant hope. I understand the pressure I've placed on everyone.
So I'm cool to laugh then?
Um, yes?
......
Nah, the magic's gone. Can't do it...
Why do I feel like that's my fault?
Hehe... well, I wouldn't dare.
What about you?
What about me?
I am Theresa, this is Rhodes Island, and you are?
'W'......
That's not what I mean. 'W' is a mercenary codename. I want to know your true name. The one that represents you..
You need not cloak yourself in a disguise tainted by war. This goes beyond names. Let's just say I'm nosy.
......
Oh... forgive me.
You don't have a name?
It's pretty common for Sarkaz born in Kazdel.
We don't really care much for... names. People forget them all the time. What's the point in making an effort to remember a name?
I don't want to forget them. I can't forget them.
If you wait for the dust to settle in Kazdel... until you're no longer 'W,' we could speak like this once again.
Maybe then you could have a more fitting name. A proper name for a Sarkaz woman like yourself.
Like Rhodes Island. A name makes things feel so much warmer, doesn't it?
......
I never really thought about it...
Theresa, message.
Kazdel is on the move. The Doctor is getting ready.
Right, I'm on my way.
W?
Oh, yeah, I'm here.
If you are willing to fight for us still, you will always be welcome here. No matter what.
...*Sigh*.
I'm not going to criticize Theresa's decision, but...
Don't expect too warm a welcome. I've seen your record. You're dangerous.
Oh. Same?
You're recovering fast, but not enough to have you wandering around as you please.
Go back to bed before we have to have someone carry you there.
I realized later.
I never dared to look Theresa in the eye.
Why?
She looked so naive.
It wasn't the look of a leader at the head of one of the armies in our cruel war...
Is naive the word...?
You don't have eyes like that when you're naive... Such... sad eyes.
And those two were always at her side, it seemed.
If... if I could stand with them...
What kind of sights would I see?
......
......?
(That hood... is that the 'Doctor' they were talking about?)
(Is that person... looking my way...?)
๏ผ......๏ผ
(What the... Why...?)
(Am I scared? Scared of what? That person gives off pretty normal vibes, but...? No, it's too vague. I've never seen anyone that weird before...)
(Oh... that's Babel's battlefield commander. I remember now...)
('The Doctor,' huh?)
I'm starting to get why Ines wouldn't go near Her Majesty.
Maybe it would be better to look out for myself every once in a while.
But... I'm not sure why... Ugh, when it comes to Theresa, I never really knew why...
Call it a whim. Hoederer and the others would understand.
