malnosso | (no subject)

Attention, Region Six. A draft is scheduled to commence on August 25th for five days following. Your location will be the West Central Ocean, en route to Kano Harbour via three ships. Choose a suitable captain for each, and the pilots will be programmed to follow your orders. Don't waste my time with incompetence, either. Put in charge only those who deserve it.

These are the residents who have been selected to participate.

[As usual, the list posted HERE is offered in text form, sans the mun names.]

Your mission is to protect the cargo ship above all else. Within three days you will reach your destination. Opposition numbers, rank, and skill are impossible to predict, however, their equipment often prevents them from attacking at night. Remain on guard, but take advantage of the respite you may receive by night. Upon reaching the harbour, the cargo will be unloaded. You are to continue protecting it until it is safely out of range of their attacks. I would advise against swimming unless you want to die.

For those of you who were involved in the last draft, I have only one thing to say: your performance was acceptable.

Over and out.

[Once again, the commandant will not reply to anything but draft-related questions or particularly inspiring comments, so if you're looking for a response, be sure to give her something worth answering!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's not used to having to explain himself to women, especially not young women, but he's enough sense in his head to know that people here can be more than they seem and... both for this and for later, he does not need to make enemies. He will be serving with these people, no matter what.]

Our orders are to protect the cargo ship.

[...

That's what they wanted them to do, yes. But they're the captors. They do not have her loyalty. For Katara? The mission is to bring as many people back safely as possible. To survive. To find a way home. Not to do what the Malnosso say.]

I heard the Commandant.

[She knows what it's like to have the call of a fight in you. She's a warrior. Sometimes it frightens her how alive she feels in battle. But this isn't their home. And their goals aren't hers.

...but she's not going to say so under the Commandant's nose. Maybe he isn't either? She's been here long enough to know that what you say or don't say makes very little difference, but in this case she's still waiting to hear about Toph. And she isn't going to take chances.]

Thank you for answering my question.

[And his voice is just a bit uneasy, perhaps because of the tone of her voice.]

Of course, Miss.

[A small smile. The jury is still out on you, so to speak, but Katara is starting to think you're okay.]

It's Katara.

Miss Katara. [Most informal he's going to get.]

I believe we've spoken before.

You will be part of this business, then? [He is not pleased about young women being in on this, damn it, but Archie explained long ago that there was nothing to be done about it.

Not yet.]

I think so, once.

[...and just once before, probably, due to the fact that she still hasn't hounded him into dropping the 'miss.' He'll probably get a pass on this due to current circumstances, but it... may not last long.]

It's not the first time. [It hasn't been the first time for... a long time.] At least this time we'll be at sea.

I agree.

[It's strange, to find himself agreeing with so young-sounding a girl. But a task at sea...

That, he can manage. That, he knows how to deal with. Much else... Well. He'd be a fish out of water.]

[If it makes you feel any better, Horatio, at sixteen Katara is considered fully adult by her tribe's standards.]

Have you fought against the Third Party before?

[She's not asking this as part of her official evaluation - that's done now. This is as a warrior to another warrior, she wants to know if he knows what to expect, and if he doesn't, how she can help him to prepare. She believes it's his first time on the draft, but... there's always the battle dome. There's a distinct danger for ships when the attacks come from the sky - there's no where to hide.]

I have not.

A friend and shipmate of mine-- Lieutenant Archie Kennedy-- has. [It's a poor substitute, but he'll get what he can from Archie. And anyone else who's willing to offer him information.]

If you go to the Battle Dome before we set out, you'll have your chance. The simulations there are... very real.

[She does not LIKE that place.]

I shall do my best to do that, Miss Katara. Thank you.

(no subject)

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