[X] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.
"In that case, no need to shout it from the rooftops," you say with a wave of your hand. "Keep what I've told you to yourself." You can tell them yourself, some other time. Or not.
"As you wish," Intruder says. And she waves her hand past her face again, and suddenly her old self is back. The ever present smile, the crafty expression, even the twinkle in her turquoise blue eyes - it's all back.
As if nothing ever happened.
…you're really not sure what to make of Intruder now. If she can so effectively put on a front, how can you really trust anything about her?
"And with that, I am finished pretending to be your friend!" she says brightly. "Now, I'm afraid this is where we part ways."
"So soon?" You fold your arms. "What's the hurry?"
"Should the show go on for the current iteration of ringleaders Executioner and Hunter?" She shrugs, maintaining her smile. "I believe you only have so many hours to retrieve Executioner and Hunter, should you choose to. Best to start the preparations sooner rather than later."
Meaning you ought to head back to Sangvis territory to repair and resupply for the undertaking.
"Additionally…" She points to the sky. "That jammer I used? That, dearie, functioned as a beacon, a floodlight. The show is over for this little outpost, but everyone else for hundreds of kilometres around knows that the ringleaders of Sangvis Ferri have made their mark here. Enemy reinforcements will be coming, and soon."
You turn the reasoning over in your head. The logic seems sound. Even if part of you wonders if she seems a bit too eager to get rid of you. "Hmm. Very well."
You cast your gaze northwards. "I just need to retrieve my forces. I sent a scouting force north-" you mentally reach out to find your scouting team-
-and you find them right with the others, at the bunker that you captured. "I did
not tell them to move back over here." You round in Intruder. "Did you-"
"Oh, I took the liberty of moving back over here," says Intruder.
You glare at her. "You should not have touched my forces."
"Apologies, dear. I was just thinking about preserving your precious units."
"Liar." She was perfectly fine with letting your pieces be taken to benefit herself. "What a pathetic attempt at flattery and misdirection. And you call yourself an actor. Where was your generous 'concern' for my units when you threw us at a meat grinder? You will not lay a finger on my units anymore. Not now, not ever, or you'll swiftly come to regret it."
"... interesting." is all Intruder says in the face of your accusations, her gaze a mix of surprise and intrigue.
"Interesting? What's interesting?" you demand.
"Merely that- oh!" Suddenly, something interrupts her, as her eyes focus on something digital. "So sorry my dear Ouroboros, it seems I'm receiving an important call from our dear Agent, so we'll have to cut this short."
"What kind of flimsy excuse is- Hey! Come back here!"
"Bye for now!" She waves…cheerfully? With the appearance of cheerfulness, at least. "Don't be a stranger! And let's have more acting classes together - it's been a while since I pretended to have so much fun! Ta-ta~"
She leaves despite your protests, and while you could force her to stay...if the call is genuine, it'd ruin everything that went well today. Seems this is a chess game you'll have to postpone.
Intruder makes her way back to her "studio van" with a cheerful wave, which you studiously ignore. Her comfortable, lavishly furnished command vehicle, complete with entertainment and a popcorn machine. The Manticores - the prize of this operation, those massive, armed, armoured walkers - follow her, striding forwards on their armoured legs.
You watch as Intruder and her dolls climb into her trucks, the Manticores climb onto trailers attached to said trucks, and they set off. And just like that, she disappears into the dark forests. Leaving you by yourself, surrounded by silence and robots, some functional, some destroyed.
You mentally direct your surviving T-dolls to pick up the destroyed and damaged, and haul them into your vehicles. And you make your way back to…your own mobile command post, you suppose. An
only mildly ventilated armoured truck, which has the bare minimum in computer and communications equipment to serve as your new mobile command.
It's time to return the way you came, to the nearest Sangvis outpost.
[SKILL UP]
ELECTRONIC WARFARE: +1 [NOW LEVEL 1]
DECEPTION +1 [NOW LEVEL 1]
CURRENT SKILLS:
ARTILLERY TACTICS 1
CQC 1
E-WAR 1
DECEPTION 1
]MAX LEVEL FOR ALL SKILLS IS 3]
You let yourself fall into an
only mildly ruined seat in the
only mildly ventilated truck, and mentally gun the engines on your vehicle convoy. They lurch forwards, retracing your steps in a column.
You let out a sigh. Yet another long journey to look forward to.
At least you have something productive to fill the time with. Paperwork. Specifically, the after-action-report.
There's a computer in the innards of the armoured truck. You only need to jack into it with the attached wire. You grab the wire-jack from the spool it's mounted on, find the connector port on the back of your neck-
-your own dead face stares back at you from the mountain of corpse-copies, the synthskin deformed by pain and rot and decay, black fluid oozing from the corners of the eyes-
-push those memories down into the deep, dark hole where they belong, and plug in.
The document form has blank spaces waiting to be filled, like places on the chessboard for you to place your pieces on. You look at the first field.
Casualty unit: "Ripper."
Next field.
Number of casualties: 16.
Next field...
Reason for casualty:
...
The field remains blank for the longest of times.
Somehow, this simple question is taking longer to answer than expected. At first it seemed simple. They got shot. But why did they get shot? Because those pathetic enemy soldiers got the better of you...
... got the better of you...?
It seems there are strategies even the simulation couldn't prepare you for... but it did prepare you to adapt. You are perfect, this is but a hiccup. Another strategy to analyse, to overcome, and to add to your databanks. You will not be fooled twice.
You return to the report, and attribute your losses to…
[ ] A lack of knowledge of your opponent's play style. [+1 Recon]
[ ] A lack of offensive pawn positioning. [+1 Offensive Tactics]
[ ] A lack of proper castling. [+1 Defensive Tactics]
