video | UN: ANIKI

[dokyuu]

Well, that was a fuck-up, wasn't it?

[There's a pirate, looking a little rougher around the edges than usual with cuts and scrapes here and there, but mostly just radiating annoyance]

Sure hope someone found out something worth while and we didn't just get our asses kicked for nothing. And I think we're gonna need a plan if we don't want that happening again, so if anyone's got a good idea now'd be the time to share it, yeah? We got through it, but it'd be bad if we got hit like that again.

Comments

[predomination]

I'm sure the Audentes are not at a loss for those types.

[so blithely. is he talking strategy or is he hosting a daytime cooking show. we just don't know.] There's more, however. They tend to scatter when dealt a blow to the head. Given the way they move, there may even be a hive mentality involved.

[dokyuu]

You're probably right, on that one.

[There were definitely a few who seemed even more careless with personal safety than he was.]

That's interesting, though. I was wondering if maybe someone was controlling 'em somehow...

[predomination]

Their intent and religious fervor remains the same, regardless, but there's simply no questioning their movements are too calculated. They protect each other far too efficiently for it to be coincidence.

How else do you explain anticipating and blocking an attack that came from your blindspot?

[dokyuu]

It's not impossible, with enough experience...

[Look, he likes to think he's gotten pretty good at guarding his own literal blind-spot...]

But these guys, yeah. They shouldn't have that level of coordination, at least according to the information we had. Wonder if it'll make a difference now that their leader's out of the picture...

[predomination]

But guarding and protecting an ally when the same is true? That's even more complicated. You would have to be aware of attacks coming at you and your allies, even when you can't see them. Never mind the lack of self-preservation that comes from blindly protecting your allies before yourself.

[and as he says- these aren't trained soldiers. they're religious zealots with weapons. being willing to die for the cause is another- protecting one another like that is a quite different matter.] I'd say it might make them careless and vengeful, but that's a best case scenario. Their loyalty runs deep, if their strategy is anything to go on.

[dokyuu]

Yeah, who knows. Regardless, I guess, they won't really be able to surprise us twice now that we've seen 'em fight. Being that organized is helpful to 'em, but we can probably plan around it...

[He sighs.]

Devoted types are the worst. Gimme the guys who are only loyal until shit goes south on 'em, any day.

[predomination]

Mm. The only thing I'm surprised about is that it took this long for them to make their move. I actually considered it a possibility we might run into them while we were out there.

[But that's because he's Urahara Kisuke, who literally considers everything, and knew when to run aground and observe while everyone else was getting shot.] That's the other thing about zealots- they hate changes in their status quo, and we represent a very big change.

[dokyuu]

Well, they picked a pretty good opportunity. Us all out there, distracted by pokin' around at what was left of the place. Maybe they were waiting for it. Or maybe someone let them know...

[But he's not the best strategist out there, so he's not going to pretend he knows for certain.]

Yeah, they don't like it when you try to shake things up, that's for sure.

[Although the ones he's dealt with in the past were a lot... weirder.]

[predomination]

They were shouting about us "getting too close" to something. It's only a theory, but they may have been onto us since the mines, assuming that was about those holodisc fragments.

If that's true, then they were set off by that, regardless of their inevitable plans to lash out against us anyway. One has to wonder what's on those fragments that relates to them...

[dokyuu]

Yeah, that stuff... I dunno. It'd be records or something?

[Where he's from, paper and ink is it, so he's not real clear on specifics.]

It's a lead, I guess.

[predomination]

Records of an ALASTAIR mission that occurred centuries before the first Qorral arrived, but I sincerely doubt those records were scattered by the people who recorded them.

[his voice lowers a bit, surreptitious and almost dangerous in tone. he hates not having all the pieces.] There is something definitely wrong here.