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>>4024056
“I… I lashed out on the Gallian envoy,” I began, trying hard not to swallow my own words. "Over some petty cultural differences. I fear I might have jeopardized our diplomatic relations with Gallia as a whole.”
“Envoy?”
“We negotiated an envoy exchange to improve communication with the Gallians earlier, and we… No, I suggested sending Igor to them as our envoy.” I explained in detail as I remembered Yanagi not being on the bridge earlier to be briefed. “Turns out, there’s quite some bad blood between the Gallians and Igor’s ‘friends’.”

Hearing this, Yanagi sighed and shook her head in resignation.
“That can’t be helped. They were at war not even a decade ago, after all.”
“It cuts even deeper for our envoy.” I continued to explain. “She- Lieutenant Lynn, is one of those... folks without a surname and the NKVD happened to be in charge of... ‘handling’ them during the war.”

“Oh...” Yanagi stared at me, wide-eyed and frowning. She knew very well about the historical feud between Gallia and the Empire, and most definitely knew of the harsh treatment the Darcsens were subject to amongst the conflict.
“Lieutenant Lynn was outraged by the decision, and… We got into an argument, I called her something unsavory.
My friend raised her brows with suspicion. “What did you call her exactly?”
“I kind of... called her a savage, at the heat of the moment” I rested a palm over my forehead as I recalled the embarrassing episode.

“I see.” Yanagi nodded and softly muttered, her tone expressed neither anger or disappointment. Instead, Yanagi listened patiently to what I had to say, and after taking everything in, calmly raised a finger to my nose.
“You should go and apologize to her, Subaru,” she said, lecturing like a guidance counselor.

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>>4024061

“I did, but she still refuses to speak with me. That’s why I bought Am- Saya, along.” I took a step back to make some space between the two of us, almost forgetting to not mention Amile by her real name as I shook my head and ended the recount.
“Then I suppose Lieutenant Lynn needs some time to cool off too,” Yanagi responded

With frustration still fresh in my system, a single thought I had been desperately trying to repress managed to break free and festered my mind.
“If only she was still here…”
As soon as the words escaped my mouth, I felt a pair of arms gently wrapping around my torso, then finally the hands gripping tightly on my back.
As I stood dumbfounded and once again grief-struck, Yanagi pulled me deeper into her embrace, as if she was trying to share my pain and troubles.

>Return the embrace
>Turn her down for now, as I’m currently on duty
>Turn her down. I should not be troubling her with my problems.

>>4024069
>Return the embrace
Don't forget about our revenge plans QM

>>4024069
>Return the embrace

>>4024069
>Return the embrace
It's kind of inappropriate to turn her down in this scenario

>>4024069
>Return the embrace

>>4024069
>Return the embrace

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>>4024181
>>4024352
>>4024385
>>4024499
>>4029197
I raised my arms and slowly reached around her back to return the embrace. Resting my head over her right shoulder, I closed my eyes as I struggled to contain moisture gathering over the edge of my eyelids. A tender, comforting hand gently rested over the back of my head as some uncaught droplets trailed down my cheeks and onto Yanagi’s shoulder.

At that very moment, I felt as if the world had fallen into silence, with Yanagi’s heartbeat drowning out all other noises aboard this metal behemoth, both within and without. The calming, regular beat served as a lighthouse, guiding my mind away from the waves of grief and into the harbor of relief.
Relief that there was still someone I could open my heart to, despite the loss I have suffered.
Relief that Yanagi was right here, with me.

“Feeling better now?” My friend softened her grasp and softly whispered into my ear, to which I responded with a weak nod.


“Yanagi.”
“Hm?”
“Thank you.”

I opened my still muddled eyes and gave her my gratitude just as the door behind her creaked open, followed by the chatter of Amile and Lynn. I reflexively raised my head, only to be met with the bewildered gaze of the two from a distance. A loud bang ensued as the two scurried back into the room and pulled the door shut.

Yanagi and I swiftly broke away from our embrace. Her face was flushed a slight dint of pink as the interruption left us stranded in an awkward stare-off, which reminded me of the very fact that I was still in the middle of a diplomatic mission.

And this emotional exchange definitely isn’t appropriate in the middle of work.

“I’m fine now.” I nodded, trying to form a reassuring smile while wiping away the residue of moisture off my cheeks.
“Good!” Yanagi flashed me a wink “I’ll be off for a shower then. Good luck on your mission.”
She patted me on the back for good measure and took off towards the main bath, which has practically been rebranded at the girls' only bath at this point. With a final wave at each other, she picked up her bucket from earlier and the two of us parted ways for the time being.

(cont'd)

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>>4032483

With duty back on my mind, I headed straight for the intercom and dialed for room O-03, the room the two ladies had entered earlier. A static “bzzzt” signalled that someone from the other side had picked up the call, but no words came from the other side.

“Sorry to keep the two of you waiting. We may resume the tour now.” I informed them with a slight tinge of embarrassment in my voice. My moment with Yanagi had delayed the tour for Amile and Lynn, not to mention how inappropriate it was for me to delve into personal matters during a mission. I could only hope the two would not take it as a great offense.

I was received with another static “bzzzt” which signalled the termination of the call. Shortly after, Lynn and Amile walked out of the room side by side. The former appeared more at ease compared to our exchange earlier, while the latter seemed rather… irritated.
“Let us proceed to the lounge.” I suggested politely, gesturing towards our next destination. “This way, please.”
Amile, however, responded to my words with dead silence and a cold, dismissive glare. She then grabbed the Gallian envoy by the arm and shot right past me, heading towards the lounge entrance.

I was left puzzled on the spot. I may have done something wrong, but I couldn’t grasp which part of it warranted such a strong reaction. The only way to be sure would be asking Amile personally, though it didn’t appear she would be in the mood to talk to me right now.

Deciding to focus on my task at hand, I shook off the thought and caught up with the two girls.

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>>4035307
“The officer’s lounge contains a good variety of facilities available for your leisure,” I explained, positioning myself between girls and the decorated wooden door of the lounge. With one hand on the handle, I slowly pushed the door inward, revealing the vast, luxurious room behind it.
“Here, allow me to show you around.”

The room before us resembled a proper bar in a high-end hotel, not dissimilar to the cafe-bar we staffed during our undercover ops. Lit by a couple of ragnite powered chandeliers, the lounge was coated in a dim azure hue. A couple of antique-reproduction leather armchairs were set directly in front of us, arranged back to back in two rows, with a coffee table situated between every two chairs.

To my far left were a billiard table and an entire shelf of pool equipment, and next to it three bookshelves filled to the brim with literature of all kinds, with a thin metal bar fixed on each of the bookshelves’ levels to prevent the books from falling out. As with every structure aboard the battleship, all of this furniture was firmly locked in place onto the floor of the deck.

A minibar with wooden finish lined up to the wall on my right, with a water dispenser and a sink on the far end. Under the tabletop were various drawers and cupboards, each with a label marking the plethora of beverages and snacks from mainland Zipang they held.

Right next to the minibar were two familiar figures facing each other in a chat, both of whom turned their heads towards the door as they noticed it open.

“Oh? Fancy seeing you here.”
“Subaru-kun!”

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>>4035315
“Margaret-san, Akasaka-san?”
Akane leaned against the edge of the counter, one arm resting on the countertop while the other holding a teacup. Her signature devilish grin forming on her face, Akane seemed pleasantly amused by our sudden appearance.

Right next to the jolly trickster was Margaret’s towering presence, now donning a jacket with white sleeves and a pair of matching sweatpants. With a teacup in hand, she waved at us with the enthusiasm of a young girl meeting with friends on a weekend’s outing. Temporarily freed from the laborious duty of powering the Yamato, Margaret was enjoying herself a little teatime with her companion.

“Would you like to join us, Captain?” Akane sent out her invitation by gesturing to an unoccupied space next to Margaret. “Your friends are welcome, too.”

Ah yes, I should introduce our guest to the core members of the crew. I could also use this opportunity to formally introduce Amile to Akane as well.
“This is Akasaka-san and Denisov-san.” I addressed the two girls. “Akasaka-san is our primary gunner, and Denisov-san is a Valkyria from the Empire-”

Amile stood close by to our envoy and presented a courtesy. However, Lynn stood uncharacteristically still and stared blankly ahead.
“Lieutenant, is something wrong?”
Sensing the sudden anomaly in Lynn’s behavior, Amile closed in to show concern.

And in the next moment, the princess has been violently shoved aside as the Gallian officer charged forward like a raging bull.

Right towards Margaret.

(cont'd)

>>4035307
Does Amile think we're cheating on Margaret?
Or is she just jealous? Don't be, Amile, Subaru is not worth you.

>>4035325
>and Denisov-san is a Valkyria from the Empire-
Subaru you dolt. It's like saying "and this is the Hiroshima bomb".
Everyone who ever had a crush on you was wrong.

>>4036167
it's not inherently bad as Gallia has their fair share of Valks too. I'm guessing Lynn just harbors a really terrible trauma from the Second Europan War.

>>4036868
It's specifically an Imperial Valkyria though. Recalling what kill counts they accumulated during EWII, no wonder Lynn got aggroed.

>>4036868
>>4036888
That freakout on the NKVD earlier suggests it's likely Margaret's sister who brought upon her suffering.

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At approximately five steps away from her target, Lynn spun her body and fired off a roundhouse kick with an upward arc with her right foot, its trajectory directed towards the left side of Margaret’s head. Caught by surprise and trapped between the wall and an aggressor, the Valkyria instantly dropped her cup of tea and entered a defensive stance. Planting her feet firmly on the ground, she bent her knees, tucked her neck in and raised her elbow while wrapping her left hand around the back of her head to brace for impact.

Lynn’s kick landed right on Margaret’s guard with a powerful “WHAM!”, with such force that even Margaret reinforced her left block with her right arm. However, this act left her lower body completely unguarded.

Quickly retracting her right leg, Lynn delivered a direct stomp onto Margaret’s soft lower abdomen, causing the towering Valkyria’s upper body to lean forward. The Darcsen then took another step forth and grabbed onto the back of Margaret’s neck, followed by a jumping knee strike right for Margaret’s neck.

This time, however, the Valkyria was fully prepared for the blow.
Tucking both hands under her chin, Margaret caught the knee right before impact, then attempted to wrap her right arm under her assailant's left leg. Lynn reacted by pulling her leg out just in time to prevent being grappled, and with a few steps back, placed some distance between Margaret and herself.

The Gallian raised her arms parallel to her head and tucked in her elbows, assuming an alien combat stance. Filled with the intention to kill, her cold eyes were trained closely on her adversary.

Margaret also quickly recovered from the blow and assumed her own combat stance, raising both of her hands with palms facing outward. The cheerful, amicable girl I knew had taken a backseat, making way for the stone-cold war machine that once threatened to blow my friends and me into bits with a dislodged anti-air gun.

Meanwhile, the rest of us could only watch awestruck at what had just played out.
Lynn had unintentionally demonstrated some abnormal physical feats before, yet I never got the chance to inquire about it. Granted, Margaret was not using her power nor her lance, but going toe to toe with a Valkyria in unarmed combat was no feat of a normal human.

But awe soon gave way to panic as logic returned to my mind- the Gallian envoy had just assaulted our Valkyria, and the two were now engaged in absolutely lethal hand-to-hand combat.
I had to do something!

>>4038374

(Pick one)
>Distract Lynn
>Attempt to subdue Lynn
>Cover Amile from possible danger.

>>4038374
>Distract Lynn
If we attempt to subdue we'll only get our ass kicked.

>>4038376
>Distract Lynn
On the bright side, this means they can't give us shit for sending Igor to them

>>4038376
>Distract Lynn

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>>4038386
>>4038952
>>4038888
Alright, I'll need a 2d10 for this one.
First result determines how good his idea is, second result determines the outcome

Rolled 4, 6 = 10 (2d10)

>>4040357

Rolled 9, 4 = 13 (2d10)

>>4040357

Rolled 5, 7 = 12 (2d10)

Rolled 5, 2 = 7 (2d10)

>>4040357

Rolled 10, 6 = 16 (2d10)

>>4040357

Distraction was the first word that popped into my mind. If I could just find a way to grab Lynn’s attention, perhaps Margaret could use that opportunity to strike …

My eyes darted around my immediate vicinity for anything that could be of use, finally locking onto the cue sticks shelved neatly on the wall next to the billiard table.
Thinking on my feet, I darted to the other side of the lounge and grabbed one of the 1.5 meter long wooden sticks from the wall. With both Lynn and Margaret still locked in an intense standoff, I repositioned myself and approached Lynn from behind.
Once I was close enough, I swung the cue at her with all my might.

Yet the hit did not land, much to my surprise and horror- it was instead firmly held in air, mid-swing, by the powerful grasp of Lynn’s right hand.

Not only did the Gallian’s sharp eyes caught glimpse of my actions, she even had the reflexes to catch the tip of a billiard cue flying right towards her from behind.
She stabilized the wooden stick in her grasp, then violently thrusts it back at me with double the force.
The butt the cue stick impacted the center of my chest like a minuscule battering ram, instantly knocking the air out of my lungs. A blurred vision of the lounge’s ceiling entered my eyes as the hard and painful strike punted me flat on the ground.

I rolled over and winced in pain, one hand over the flaring pain on the chest. Gritting my teeth, I managed to flip to my side, and as my vision began to clear from the involuntary tearing from the pain, I managed to observe what had taken place after my failed ambush.

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>>4051262
Having taken advantage of the brief interruption, Margaret went on the offensive. Like a striking boa constrictor, she wrapped her left arm tightly around Lynn’s neck from behind. With her right arm bent inward to reinforce the left arm, she had Lynn firmly locked in a chokehold. Lynn began thrashing like a cornered animal, attempting to break the chokehold by repeatedly striking Margaret’s ribs with her elbow. However, the Valkyria did not budge- instead, Margaret turned her body to make it more difficult for Lynn to strike, then dragged Lynn away from the wall and to a more open area of the lounge. Once there, the Valkyria straightened her back and leaned backward, allowing her natural height to holster Lynn right off the ground.

While now Margaret has gained the upper hand, I was reminded of another point of concern.
Despite acting like a feral beast right now, Lynn was nevertheless an envoy sent by the Gallians to us- a fact that Margaret was likely not aware of. If this keeps up, she may very well kill the girl.
“Margaret, don’t kill her!”
A drop of cold sweat ran down my temples as I gasped to scream those words as loud as I could.
Margaret appeared somewhat surprised by the words as she spared a glance at my direction, but nevertheless nodded and readjusted her stance for a less deadly chokehold instead of a neck breaker.

Despite being lifted off the ground, Lynn continued to struggle violently, flailing her legs about in order to regain her footing while desperately trying to make space between the Valkyria’s arms and her neck. Margaret responded by further tightening her grip, pressing even harder down on her chokehold.
Having been starved of oxygen, the Gallian’s thrashings became weaker by the second. Gradually, Lynn passed out, as her body dangled motionlessly like a ragdoll in Margaret’s arms.

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>>4051264
“Subaru-kun!”
Margaret immediately rushed towards me, dropping Lynn on the floor like a ragdoll and rushed to my side. Her battle-ready demeanor faded away as fast as a gust of wind, and the gentle giant returned back to her usual self.
“Are you hurt?”
Margaret kneeled by my side and asked with utmost concern, supporting me with a hand on my back. Groaning, I propped myself off the ground, with the pain in my chest subsiding little by little.

What a crazy day it was.

>Check on Lynn.
>Ask Margaret if she is fine
>Look around for Amile and Akane, make sure they weren’t hurt.

>>4051266
>Go to the intercom and call for a medic

>>4051266
>Check on Lynn.
as well as >>4051277

>>4051277
>>4051277
This seems to be the best course of action.

And I'm convinced Lynn has some sort of black ops background or was subjugated to the same sort of training/conditioning Igor did.

>>4051266
>Check on Lynn and call for a
medic