label start: stop music fadeout 2.0 $ _game_menu_screen = "navigation" show screen keymap_screen scene bg 02 with fade play music "Music/ms03.ogg" fadein 3.0 $ persistent.codex_CG01 = True nar "You never feel as much pride as the first time you are given command. An instructor at the academy once told me that." nar "There's something to be said about that. My first 'command' was a listening outpost on some backwater swamp planet that didn't have an official name." nar "I called it my watery hell. My command consisted of myself, two automated recording machines, and a virtual intelligence to manage the machines. I was alone during my stint as a lieutenant and a brevet captain." nar "The only thing that kept me sane were the games for my virtual system. I'm pretty sure I managed to beat every single roleplaying game known to the galaxy." nar "Sure, there haven't been very many made since the war for our survival started so many years ago, but still..." nar "When I signed up to fight, I thought the Katajion Defense Force would have been smart enough to send me to the front." nar "Nope, I go to watery hell with constant mold problems. They sent my classmates, who were far less capable than I, to the front. Those losers got to command taskforces and fight." nar "And, like I predicted, most of them perished with their commands. They were blind fools. Idiots. If I would have been there, this war could have been over by now!" nar "Instead, innocent people, brave warriors, and powerful war machines had to be sacrificed to some dumb tactical officer's bad battleplans." nar "Not any more." nar "I've been watching the loadmaster and her droids moving cargo for a few minutes. I might have to inquire if she knows anything about my welcoming party." nar "As I walk up to her, I catch notice of her short stature and non-regulation issue hat. Great, she's a hobban." nar "During my academy and training years, I never saw too many of them. While nimble and dexterous, they aren't what you would call our A-class students. Most of them are as dense as rocks." nar "Even now, she's smiling and waving at me with unprofessional excitement. No bearing, no discipline." show kylie smile at kyCenter n hmm "Excuse me, but could I ask you a quick question?" k "Certainly! How can I help you?" nar "I glance over her uniform and notice the small insignia that tells me she's a lowly flight officer. If this is the sort of professional treatment my forces give, I'm going to have a difficult time." nar "Still, she is a member of the crew and someone I am going to have to work with on a day-to-day basis. I can tolerate a little bit of it." n smile "I am Major Natalie Puccile. I am looking for the bridge." #show kylie 03 k happy "You are almost there." n "Thank you for your assistance, flight officer." k "I'm glad to help out! If you get lost, I'll be finished loading soon and can show you around." n doori "That's kind, but I should be fine." e "Don't worry, Kylie, we're here to show her around." show alphonse smile at alLeft behind kylie show sol annoyed at right nar "Waiting at the end of the hall are a pair of majors approaching me. My real welcoming party, I guess." nar "One of them is a handsome, pale-haired frikon with large creamy wings and a soft, cheery look on his face. The other man..." show kylie smile s "You've gotten soft over the years, Natalie." n sigh "Maybe I have, but at least I haven't gotten lax with my support. Letting a kid load all of the supplies by herself? I expect better leadership from you." s surprised "I always thought you were asleep during the delegation class at the academy." n yare"You're one to talk. I know you slept through the first aid course." e laugh "I take it you two know each other?" n laugh"We graduated from the same academy class." s smile "Old friends." k surprised "Is Major Hackett smiling?" n "I know. This may be the sign of the armageddon." e "I'm just glad that something could warm my wingman's heart. My name is Alphonse Tenzin. You already know Sol." n smile"Major Natalie Puccile reporting. It's a pleasure to meet you." k smile "I'm Flight Officer Kylie Migi. I'm not actually a kid, I'm a hobbin." n "It's nice to meet you, Flight Officer Migi, though you could stand to listen to Sol a bit about professionalism. He is right about some things." k surprised "I'm sorry, ma'am. It has been hard adjusting to military life." n "Keep at it. Be the best officer you can be." k happy "Yes, ma'am!" e wink "I can see why you like her, Sol." s grumpy"Hush, Major Tenzin. We need to get going and let Natalie settle in before Rasoona gets her claws out." k "You mean Commander Rasoona." show alphonse laugh s irritated "..." k nervous"...I'm going to go back to loading the supplies, sir." s "Please." n happy "..." e "..." s "Do you see what I have to go through? That's why I'm glad to see you, Natalie." n doori "So I can correct you as well?" s regret "Here. Let me take your luggage." n htp "Are you sure?" s quiet "Let's drop these bags off and take a tour of the ship. It's small, but our work is cut out for us." e serious"I'd let him. Sol let Zuri carry all of her luggage without even offering a single shred of help." s grumpy "Zuri can roundhouse kick me through a wall. She didn't need the help." e "Or Kylie." s "..." s "You packed light, as always." n irate "Uniforms and basic health care items. I packed just like the deployment list recommended." #show sol 02 s annoyed"Most people don't listen to that. They seem to think we have plenty of space on the ship for things like dumbbells and personal affects." n "I was told that the list was the official record." s "You were told right. The force is growing so slack. Take Kylie for instance!" k scared "Meep." s "I don't think we could have had a better quartermaster. She's a wizard with our equipment, nothing ever stays broken. If you need something, it is stocked on the next supply run." s "But you saw how she treats superior officers! She seems to think regulations and professional behavior don't matter if you just do it well." #show sol 01 s "We have those regulations for a reason!" n hmm "We deal with life and death situations. You have to be able to know exactly what the person next to you is going to do." s "Exactly! You wouldn't believe how grateful I am to have someone here who understands that. Resoona just doesn't understand that being good and being a team just doesn't cut it." n "Well, I'm here now. We'll start bringing this ship up to code." #show sol 08 s "Damn right!" n sigh "So... you really didn't help poor Kylie with her bags?" k sad "It was okay... I managed." show kylie happy n yare "Well, he can help make it up to you by helping finish loading up equipment. I think that's the first thing we can bring up to code." show alphonse laugh s irritated "..." s regret "Only for you, Natalie." e smile "I'll help. Kylie never asks for help when she needs it." n smile "Let's show her the power of a trio of majors!" e "I am starting to believe that the gods may have blessed us with your presence here." s "If I can still move after this, I'll consider agreeing." n "Thanks, Sol." s annoyed "I'm only helping because Kylie is our quartermaster. I wouldn't waste my time if some of those boxes didn't contain steaks from back home on Quin." s angry2 "But then we are going back to the tour. No further delays, please." n doori "Deal." stop music fadeout 3.0 jump begin2 label begin2: scene bg 01 with fade show sol serious at center s serious "Welcome to the bridge. It isn't much, but it beats being stuck in that tiny Korlet cockpit." n huh "You flew fighters?" s "Two years on the frontline with the KSS Xeon." n doori "Sounds exciting." s regret "Not when you get caught up in a major conspiracy. Please tell me you aren't planning to overthrow the Board of Directors while you are working here. My career can't handle another one." n surprised "Woah, what?" s "On second thought, don't ask. It brings up too many bad memories." n yare"Speaking of bad memories, where is your ball and chain? I thought both you and Lenna were going to be fighter pilots together." s "Don't ask." n sigh "Was it that bad?" s "Ask me when I've had a few drinks." n "You don't drink." s "So don't ask me again, please." n sad "Sorry." s "Bad memories, Nat.