(no subject)

[straykitty]

Who: Renne, Donnie, Yuki and Aira
What: Routine raid turns cleansing cult installation and salting the earth
Where: A hidden research facility on Larendt
When: Mid-February in between normal Corsair operations
Warnings: Violence, potential mention of human experimentation

With the Isles Above on lockdown, finding a target had been difficult. However, with Renne's network, nothing was impossible, especially when one knew how to access Society archives and knew certain doting n'er do wells would probably look the other way if they saw it was her. The facility she found was a small research installation nestled in the forests of Larendt. They should have ample Ether stones for their purposes, but also shouldn't have been too hard to knock over.

After assembling a crew, she booked a Corsair ship out to the fallen isle of Larendt. The facility was fairly easy to find, as usual the Imperials never really thought to conceal their labs, even if they were within the Corsair's operating zone. The door was reinforced steel, but that wasn't a particularly large issue. Withdrawing her ENC, Renne, gave her team one final look. "Are you all ready?"

Comments

[purplexing]

The turtlekin glances at Aira. Maybe they're useless words, but they're still something he latches onto, some odd reassurance that maybe he's not in the wrong for having such conflicting thoughts on the matter. His shoulders hike up sharply at the sudden silence that falls behind them once they've exited, not making him feel much different from when they researchers had been screaming in pain. He wants to be sick, and he wonders how their simple mission had turned so dark, so quickly.

He takes up the rear as they follow Renne's lead, up until they stop at the next door. The warning isn't something he brushes over, not after what just happened. It takes some effort to swallow down the knot of anxiety that feels like it's only tightened in the back of his throat. Donnie's hesitation is evident, torn between wanting to help, wanting to do what's ...right? and the dread of what all could possibly lie beyond. Would he be a coward for staying behind? He feels some desperate need for some kind of mental self-preservation, especially when he knows those edges have been fraying.

It might not have been all that long for his mental deliberation, but to him it seems like far longer. Donnie squeezes his eyes shut for a moment before he slowly lifts his head to look at the others.

"...I'll hang back. And handle things if anyone else comes this way."

He can do that much, at least.

[nyammy]

"I'll be coming with you. We don't know if any threats are inside, and we don't want them taking children as hostages."

Yuki - Nyammy - says this as matter-of-factly as possible. She can deal with threats. And protecting children might be more in her usual line of work than this has been so far.

At the same time.... well. If things are that bad inside, she feels it's almost her duty to see for herself. She's always been the one on her team to shield the meeker members, not one to be shielded.

[testygirl]

If Donnie is receptive to the apology, then it wasn't completely useless. 'Inadequate' was probably the better word to describe it. As for his decision to hang back, that's not a bad call, and she gives him a supportive pat on the shoulder.

For her part? Aira is quite upset with Renne, and herself, and this messed up world, but she can't just let herself shut down. There's more to do, and with another steadying breath, she's ready to see it through.

"That's right. So I'm coming, too. And don't try to stop me." She folds her arms, wearing a rather grim—but determined—expression.

This tag is for those who came inside CW: Child abuse and death

[straykitty]

"Very well." Renne said. "Prepare yourself. You will not like what we see."

After ensuring Donnie was faced away and guarding the path, Renne tried the door. Upon finding it locked, she poured Ether into her Scythe for a moment before bringing it down hard on the lock, punching it out and allowing access to the room.

The scent inside was overwhelming. On the ground were the bodies of about 20 children, several in stages of highly advanced decay. The room itself was absolutely filthy, full of waste and things unrecognizable. On every body there were precise, calculated cuts all over. As they entered, a faint cry rang out. One of the children on the ground was sobbing softly, and two others seemed to stir weakly, all three of them horrifically wounded and malnourished. The other bodies lie still, there is no sense of life to them.

[testygirl]

It's absolutely horrific—that goes without saying. At the sight, all of Aira's own hangups and feelings of self-pity instantly evaporate. Approaching the sobbing child, she manages a soft smile while holding back her tears with an iron will. The corner of her eyes ache from the effort. She crouches next to the boy and speaks tenderly.

"Hey. We're going to get you out of here, okay? You've been so super strong and brave." She offers her hand. "We're gonna go on a really cool flying ship and take you guys somewhere a lot nicer. So everything is going to be alright, I promise."

[nyammy]

Nyammy is in full mama-cat mode at this point. Seeing Aira comforting the crying child, she'll be heading over to the other two, checking their condition. Still alive. That was... that was good.

She tried gently to rouse them, all while casting her senses about, trying to make sure she wasn't missing any other children. She... didn't think she was. Everything else left here weren't children any longer, only corpses.

[straykitty]

The child is tiny, he manages to make some noises of affirmation but doesn't speak, his dull eyes showing the slightest spark of hope as he turns to look at Aira.

The other two children weakly begin moving as Nyammy rouses them, their movements slow and weak due to their advanced state.

Renne steps forward. "They're likely severely malnourished. Let's give them a bit of water, slowly. We can't give them too much or their body might reject it. We'll signal ahead so food can be prepared, the Corsairs are equipped to deal with this condition."

Removing a water skin from her belt, she slowly gives it to one of the children on the ground, who suddenly clings to her neck as tightly as her arms will allow. She looks at the child with a pensive expression before passing the skin over to Nyammy to do the same. The child by Aira seems to be doing a bit better, but he watches the water skin hungrily nonetheless.

[testygirl]

"Right..."

Aira has no idea what she's going to say Renne when this is all over, but it's a damn good thing that the latter prepared and knowledgeable. It occurs to her that Renne must be the reason that the Corsairs are specifically equipped to deal with this. Though, of course, that knowledge came at a horrible price.

She forces herself to be patient, waiting for the two other kids to drink, and then accepting the water skin once Nyammy passes it along. Aira emulates the way Renne helped the first child drink—bringing the skin to the boy's lips and tipping it delicately, carefully and slowly letting the water flow. It takes some extra effort to keep her hands from trembling.

[nyammy]

Nyammy is a little used to getting somebody water like this. She's helped out at Iroha's animal clinic, after all - not much, but enough. The small, malnourished, and injured children remind her of the injured and sick animals she would see there.

She passes on the water quickly, though, intent on making sure all of the children have a turn with it.

"You're doing great," she tells the child. "We'll get you out of here soon, all right?" She doesn't expect a response, she's just trying to make her voice soothing and offer some hope to the child.

[straykitty]

The children drink greedily from the water, but don't seem to be able to speak - when they try they can make some basic vocalizations but otherwise aren't able to produce intelligible sounds. What is fairly immediate, however, is that they both clutch tightly to their saviors, their little bodies trembling with fear.

"We should get them out," Renne says, lifting the child into her arms.

[testygirl]

Aira acknowledges Renne with a nod. There really isn't more to be said.

"Good job," she tells the boy, maintaining an encouraging smile—though still with plenty of strain. "Aaaand up we go!"

She leads him towards the exit, holding his hand with a warm and firm grip. It seems he has the strength to walk, at least, which is the thinnest of silver linings. There's hope that he can make a full recovery, in time. She prays that all of them can.

[nyammy]

Nyammy helps the last child - or rather, the child she was helping - to their feet. She doesn't elect to carry them - they seem to be able to stand, after having had some water - but she takes their hand, leading them after Aira and Renne, slowly and encouragingly.

This situation is dire. But they'd make it out. Nyammy would make sure of it.

This is the main continuation

[straykitty]

After an agonizing but in all honesty short amount of time, the trio re-emerges. Two children are holding hands with Aira and Nyammy respectively, whereas one child has her face buried in Renne's shoulder as she carries her out with surprising tenderness.

"Donnie, can you call the ship crew?" she asks, her voice tired but firm. "We need to get this children out before we do what needs to be done."

[purplexing]

Donnie's stepped down a ways to keep a better eye and ear open for anything that might be coming from the other hall. It's always harder being on the waiting end, but he keeps on the alert, checking the chronometer on his ENC every now and then.

He lifts his head, glancing over his shoulder when he hears footsteps from the room, his eyes widening at the sight, both startled and relieved that they'd managed to find anyone. That they'd found any at all is still an unsettling thing in itself, but he's at least given a task so he won't have to dwell upon that for the moment. With a nod, he steps back towards the main entrance as he flips open the cover of his bracer.

"-you there? We've run into something of a complication. Our material acquirement has just turned into an extraction mission."

[straykitty]

"This is the Percheron, raiding party we copy." The voice on the other end crackles a bit but the connection is stable. "Please confirm the situation."

"There are three children and seventeen bodies, similarly sized," Renne responds flatly, speaking loud enough to be heard over the comms.

"Acknowledged," the voice says after a brief pause. "Extraction team will be there in ten. The bodies will be a difficult lift for our resources, please confirm your intention."

Renne backs off. She'll let Donnie make the call here, she's going to try not to dictate things over the wishes of the team. She's not emotionally capable to be making those decisions right now.

[purplexing]

Seventeen... It's not a huge number but it's still a lot of children, too many who should never have been used for such a nefarious purpose. That fact drop nearly sends Donnie reeling, but he keeps from looking back towards that doorway, swallowing as he catches Renne's eye.

"...we can't leave them here. They deserve proper treatment. It's...the least we can do for them," he says, trying to keep his voice steady, even as his throat feels so dry. Seventeen...

He looks back at Renne and the others.

[straykitty]

"There are a number of crates and supply cases available here," Renne supplies dully, speaking more to Donnie than over the comms. "If that's your decision, we can have the bodies laid out by the extraction team and we can build them coffins and return them to the sea after we finish here."

[purplexing]

The turtlekin closes his eyes for a moment, but he nods. He doesn't have to overthink this one, at least.

"It is," he confirms when he looks back at Renne. It's the least they can do. They may not have meant to find these children, but he certainly can't just turn his back and forget about it.

[testygirl]

Aira is in her own kind of a stupor, but she vigorously shakes her head, trying to snap out of it. She would have protested venomously if they'd made a different decision, but she also figured that Donnie would land on the humane choice.

"There's no way we can leave them." She's looking down, jaw clenched. Her grip on the boy's hand is gentle, but she makes a fist with the other, nails digging into her palm.

"I can be in charge of moving and loading bodies," she then says over the comms. Her voice is mostly calm, but still quite bitter. "You heard her. They're small, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Carrying is something her powers are especially useful for. Though it's still going to be a somber, awful process.

[nyammy]

Nyammy is more worried about the living than the dead, but she can't fault the humans (and whatever Donnie was) for their decision. It was humane. Even if she was a cat, she knew to pay proper respect to the dead - even if she thought that was less of a concern.

"Tell me what you need me to do, and I'll do it," she says eventually. "I can help carry the bodies, make coffins, or bring down this entire lab if you'd like." The last of which might be pushing her abilities, but she's pretty sure sheer anger will help her through it.

[straykitty]

"We should get the children to the landing party and have them returned to the ship for medical attention. We'll have the landing party retreat, and finish our business with the rest of the cultists, and extract the bodies on the way out. Any objections?"

Renne tries to moderate her tone enough to be open for objections, but is only marginally successful.

[purplexing]

Donnie looks to Aira and Nyammy, nodding at them before he looks back at Renne.

"None here. Let's do it."

There's just too much swirling through his mind right now and he's not even sure what he's feeling. Disgusted? Angry? Confused? ...lost. It seems there's no limit to what horrors the Empire is capable of. That alone feels like something so white hot that it sits cold in his core.

It seems clear enough what they need to do. Renne's outlined it well enough.

The turtlekin shakes his head. No objections here.

[testygirl]

"Sounds good."

Like Donnie, Aira's emotions have been shifting non-stop from one extreme to another. It's exhausting, but at least now they have a good, concrete plan to follow. That helps to solidify her determination, and reignite her drive.

She reminds herself again: they're doing this to bring down the Empire, and to protect anyone they can. At times, its power does seem hopelessly insurmountable, but she's never backed down before in the face of long odds or deadly circumstances. They can win, one step at a time. In this case, it happens to be a short and measured step as she leads the boy in her care onward to the extraction point.

[nyammy]

Nyammy is fine just knowing they have a plan.

In some ways, she seems to be taking this well. In others, she's a mess - just as much as the others, even if she doesn't show it. That level of death, of pain and suffering... it wasn't something she was prepared to deal with.

And now, she was responsible for this small child whose hand she held. Really, for all of the children. As a Pretty Cure, she was used to some level of responsibility, but this was... a lot. But somebody had to do it, and so she would.

Without anything else being said, she begins leading her charge, trailing just behind Aira. She would see this through. Follow the plan. Rescue the children, then deal with the people who hurt them. And then deal with the dead on their way back out.

Right. She could do this.

[straykitty]

The landing party arrives and Renne quickly appraises them of the situation as they take the children back to the ship. The faces are grim and it's clear at least one of the other Corsairs has seen this before as they promise to prepare for the funeral following the operation before escorting the children back.

As the group leaves, Renne draws her scythe, her smile dripping with malice.

"Now then, shall we attend to business?"