[X] Talk to someone at HQ about completing the mission.
- [X] Clarify that you do in fact believe her, but that you can't let a reasonable-sounding explanation after the fact dissuade you from verifying on principle.
You consider your options for a few moments, then nod to the captain. "Actually, I would like to speak with Headquarters, if that's possible. If whoever you and Fate spoke with is still there, that person would be preferable." The captain holds your gaze impassively for a moment, then sighs. You hold up a hand to forestall any response. "Don't get me wrong, please - I believe you're telling the truth about what happened. But I do want to clarify some things about what happened." Besides, it's not like you would be able to tell if this 'call to Headquarters' is actually happening until after you reach Mid-Childa and can verify that it did, in fact, happen and you weren't simply tricked by some technology or magic that makes it seem like you're talking with someone far away. The captain blinks and looks at you for a moment before nodding.
"Of course. Just wait, please; it could take a few minutes if he's stepped out for something." She doesn't sound like she believes you. You nod and glance at Sein; the girl seems to have forgotten her meal and is simply staring at you blankly. A shame Satsuki isn't awake, but even if you could wake her up and keep her awake, this isn't really important enough for her to learn from. The screen splits into two parts, the captain on one side and the other blank, but after fifteen seconds the captain frowns at something. Before she can say anything, the other screen flickers to life, showing an older man with greying blonde hair. "Admiral Tacoma! I wasn't expecting you to answer personally." The captain stiffens as she speaks, straightening to a more formal sitting position, and the man laughs.
"Ah, Captain Captain. At ease, please. When we got another communication from your ship so soon after the last, I thought it might be important enough to merit my attention from the start. What's on your mind?" The captain takes a breath and her eyes flick to the side, looking at you - she must have a split screen as well, and when she taps at something in front of her the admiral's eyes slide over, too, and his eyes widen in surprise. "Oh. Officer Scarlet, I believe? Or would you prefer that I call you something else?" You shrug carelessly.
"It doesn't matter to me, really. You're the one who talked with Fate? Is there anything I should be worried about with regards to that decision?" Tacoma frowns and glances at the captain, but a cough interrupts his response.
"I'll take care of this, Admiral. It was my decision, after all." Tacoma stiffens and the captain's eyes bug out and her mouth drops open. Then Tacoma's image is replaced by an ancient woman, hair gone silver with age. It's difficult to tell if her obvious exhaustion is due to her advanced age or if she's just been really busy lately, but she gives you a tired smile. "It's alright if I call you Flandre, right?" The captain shoots to her feet and salutes stiffly.
"Admiral Crowbel!" Not a name you remember, but Sein goes very pale and makes a curious whimpering noise, so she's probably someone important.
"Oh, sit down, Captain. It's not like this is a formal inspection - not that I've done one of those in years, anyway." She turns her attention back to you as the chastised captain sits back down. "So, young lady, what did you want to know?" You snort - she can't be much more than a fifth of your age, if that.
"You're the reason Fate had an emotional breakdown?" Sein and the captain both almost choke and stare at you in horror and outrage, respectively, but Crowbel simply nods calmly.
"Broadly speaking, yes. She wanted to go deal with Mister Trabant, and when she was told that was impossible, she reacted emotionally. As expected, of course, given that the girl Tool seems to have been subjected to quite severe abuse and torture over the years of her life so far, and that she seems to have been cloned directly from the remains of Alicia Testarossa. Therefore, from a strictly personal view, Enforcer Harlaown had good cause to go. Unfortunately for her, that isn't enough to justify altering the current mission to let her deal with Mister Trabant." She sighs and shakes her head. "In any case, there isn't any problem we have with the Enforcer, and we aren't going to censure her, or even make a note of this in her pubic record. She has ample cause to be upset, and I don't blame her for anything." You nod; Fate isn't in trouble, under arrest, or anything of the sort, just as the captain said. Of course, there is the issue of you leaving the job half-done ….
"I see. Now, about this - Trabant, you called him? Stopping him is my current mission, and I would very much prefer to minimize the risk of failure. By delaying the move against him, by sending a less powerful team, you are increasing the risk to my mission, by giving him time to escape or fortify himself." Crowbel sighs tiredly, but when she opens her eyes to look at you there is very little give in them.
"Frankly, Flandre, the only reason you and Enforcer Harlaown went on this mission to begin with is that Carim specifically went to her to begin with, and because we frankly didn't have anyone else. There has been discussion as to whether or not she deliberately waited to the last minute to ask for assistance, but I don't believe she's that callous with the lives of her people; like most of us in the Bureau, she genuinely believes in helping others. So there's one reason you and Enforcer Harlaown won't be moving to arrest Mister Trabant. Another is, in fact, the Enforcer's emotional attachment to the secondary objectives of the mission - the retrieval of Alicia Testarossa's remains and the whereabouts of any remains of Presea Testarossa - which could lead to her taking drastic measures. And you really aren't much better," she says, her gaze hardening even more. "We would very much like to avoid the sort of damage that you appear to casually inflict, and that Enforcer Harlaown might inflict in a state of charged emotion. This is going to be highly publicized, and any show of unnecessary force on our part could put public opinion even further against the Bureau, which we can't really afford." She sighs again and her shoulders slump. "And the third is simply that she is Enforcer Fate Testarossa Harlaown. Her past has been brought up - former criminal, artificial mage - and if she's linked at all to such a highly-publicized incident as this one will be, that's going to bring up those issues again." You snort again, more derisively.
"Propaganda. Your organization is so shaky that you can't afford to let someone retrieve the remains of her family because some people might complain that you're using resources effectively." The captain's eyes blaze in fury, but Admiral Crowbel sighs once more and nods.
"Cynical, but … essentially true. If it were up to just me, and I could pass judgment based on what I want, I'd let you go without a second thought, no need to bring back any bodies you don't want to. But it's not, and I can't. There's far more at stake than the desires of one washed-up old woman, an effective but not irreplaceable mage, and one charming little bloodthirsty monster. The Bureau's mission comes first." You glower at the screen and the withered old woman sitting at her chair.
What do you do?
[ ] Try to convince her to let you and Fate go after Trabant.
[ ] Go to sleep.
[ ] Other?
DM Note: Starting next Sunday (10 June), my schedule will change, which will necessitate a change in Quest update times. Right now, I think I'll move updates back five hours, to 5 PM US Central Time.
