Chapter 31: (Recap Chapter – Skippable) Incident Report #TF-OD-0001 (Arc 3 Begins!)

Incident Report A

Incident Number; #TF-OD-0001
Incident Type; Insubordination
Report Author; 2nd Lieutenant *******

The following report is in regards to the protocol surrounding the recent battle between the 'Tristain Autonomous Combat Flotilla' and the enemy Troy Class Submarine, known as the 'Curadh' and its experimental G-Type Casnel.
 During the first engagement of Operation Deadlight, the following all committed varying degrees of insubordination;
- The woman known as 'Scarlet Grimizan'.
- Hoki Bachika.
- Una O' Conchabhair.

These acts of unwarranted disobedience resulted in massive damages to three of the Vijaik-Neo-C-MBT's that participated in the battle - As well as hospitalising two of the pilots and putting the lives of the entire force at risk.
 As per regulation, the following shall be my assessment of each of the five individuals involved in the incident, briefly detailing their history, current service record and suitability for continued allegiance of the 'Independent Alliance of Free States' (IAFS).
 A second report will be coupled with this by the Acting-Field-Combat-Commander (1st Lt.Nilas) - Both for the consideration of Fleet-Command Nate Novel and both written independent of one another.

THE FOLLOWING IS FOR THE EYES OF FLEET-COMMANDER AND ABOVE RANKED;

OFFICERS;
SUBJECT A;
Name - Kolme Nilas.
Alias/Titles - 'Last Nemo Standing Nilas' (Derogatory Nickname).
Rank - 1st Lieutenant.
Position - Acting Vijaik Squad-Leader(Officially the Vice-leader), Acting Am-Fluchtig XO, Acting Field-Commander, Senior Vijaik Pilot.
Country of Origin - Ivernia (Central Continent of Bhaile).
Next of Kin - N/A (Records indicate a possible partner in the past and a Father - This however is unconfirmed information).
Age - Unlisted (Estimated to be in his late 40s, to mid 50s).
Gender - Male.
Sexuality - Straight.
Pilot Simulation Score - C
Estimated 'Real' Ability - B-
Magi Ability - None.
Health Issues - Kolme was formerly a heavy smoker. He is also known to drink in excess.

Kolme Nilas is something of an oddity - At a first glance the man appears far older than he really is, with an attitude and manner of speaking completely unsuitably for an officer. In spite of this Kolme is undoubtedly a highly experienced operative.
 During 'The First War' he volunteered, joining the The States Union(TSU) terrestrial defence forces. His first year of service would see him in the engineer corps during the invasion of Bhaile by the 'Abhailen-Revolutionary-Forces'. During this time Kolme was promoted up to the rank of Staff-Sergeant (Supposedly being quite good in this role). By the end of the war Kolme was transferred to being a pilot of TSU's first mass-produced mechs.
 He would continue in this role till the end of the war - With some accounts claiming he was present at the day of the final battle, possibly even witnessing the death of the so called, 'Last King of Abhaile'.

Following this, Kolme would remain a soldier in the peace years, being transferred from the army to the navy (For unlisted reasons, his rank did not carry over). He saw some action during the 'Remembrance Incident' and spent most of this time serving aboard a ship called the 'Monte Blanc' - Under the command of Vice-Admiral Louise.
 When the Vice-Admiral defected from TSU to form IAFS, Kolme was simply one of many who got brought along with-in the Admiral's fleet.
 
From here a large number of incident forms detail events tangentially relating to Nilas. The Monte-Blanc was sunk in the first weeks of the current war, with Nilas being transferred first to the flagship Tradech and later requesting a transfer to the Fluchtig.
 Kolme's time aboard the Tradech is maybe the most concerning - As further detailed in my investigation of Ensign Vint, Kolme would find himself the only survivor of multiple squads during his time there.
 It would not therefore be unreasonable to question whether Kolme harbours disdain for IAFS and its leadership.
 It is no secret the Neo-Vijaik squads of the Tradech 'were' poorly organised and often used as little more then cannon-fodder for the ships more advanced mecha and pilots - With the vessel having an abhorrent rate of turnover & causalities.
 However since his transfer to the Fluchtig, Kolme has proved to be a valuable asset. Through somewhat poor allocations of officers, Kolme has found himself the second highest ranking person aboard the ship.
 In this role he has proved a skilled delegator, allowing those under him a sensible level of autonomy in regards to paperwork, pilot training and the Fluchtig's experimental custom mech program.
 He seems to have a high level of respect and loyalty towards Commander Novel and though he speaks somewhat unrefinedly - It is undeniably Kolme is, beneath the façade of a harmless old man, a very capable leader - With a drive to have the men under him survive this war.
 
During the most recent battle against the enemy Submarine and Casnel, Kolme could be blamed for the incident - Indeed insubordination must lay in part with the residing officer - However all told Kolme took control of the battle, had the rampaging pilot, Scarlet restrained - And ordered a tactical retreat, with the priority of tracking the submarine, rather than fighting a prolonged battle against the Unknown Casnel.
 All told I view Kolme Nilas as something of an old-school Sergeant-Major but one with the authority of a Commander. At this time it is my advice that Lt.Nilas'es rank and positions should remain the same, both to maintain stability aboard the ship and because I believe he is much more likely to remain a loyal asset if allowed the freedom of leadership.

Threat Level and Assessment - Minor - No action is advisable, minor surveillance recommendable.

SUBJECT B;
Name - Hoki Bachika.
Alias/Titles - Thee Hokuai (Title of Family Nobility).
Rank - Ensign.
Position - Acting Vijaik Squad-XO, Experimental Mecha - Project Liaison, Combat Pilot.
Country of Origin - '1st Principality of Eastern Bhaile'.
Next of Kin - A Father & Mother, no siblings.
Age - 27.
Gender - Female.
Sexuality - Lesbian.
Pilot Simulation Score - C
Estimated 'Real' Ability - B+
Magi Ability - None(However her family has historically contained elven blood).
Health Issues - n/a.

Hoki Bachika is one of the three figures at fault for insubordination during the battle this incident pertains towards. Her role was leader of the forward marksmen group.
 In this capacity she successful deterred the Enemy Casnel's assault against the repair vessel 'Clover' and revealed the location of the enemy vessel 'Curadh'. However when her subordinate went seemingly rouge, Hoki was unable to reign back in Warrant Officer Scarlet.
 Further when ordered by Lt.Nilas to disengage and retreat, Hoki instead continued to provide long range support for her allies - Nearly resulting in her own death. Historically speaking Hoki is well known within IAFS - Her Father being one of its founders.
 
During the formative years of IAFS, Hoki's Father - Lt.Colonel Bachika, intended to take a whole copy of all data available to him from the TSU databanks - Troop deployments, blueprints, personnel files etc - As well as having a number of loyal supporters.
 These files, the troops and even some equipment were intended to launch into space and meet up with Vice-Admiral Louise's fleet. The Admiral was designated IAFS's fleet Leader, Lt.Commander Ceathair as Vijaik leader and Lt.Colonel Bachika in charge of the army wing (This would of included the military police, training facilities, marine deployment and espionage) - However Bachika and most of his followers were caught before escaping atmosphere and to this day remain under house arrest.
 Hoki on the other hand, managed to escape with the files and two of her Father retainers.

In the years following Hoki became something of a spokesperson for IAFS as well as a piloting instructor -  Until eventually Commander Novel accepted her request for a frontline deployment. In this regard I believe Hoki could not be much more loyal to the organisation, it is in a sense partially her Father's creation.  However while Hoki is a very talented pilot, learned individual and well organised officer - She is severely lacking in experience, both on and off the battlefield.
 During my investigation I recovered the damaged black-boxes from her and Scarlet's Vijaiks.
On these recordings it is clear the stress of leadership got to Hoki as she can be heard breaking down during her and Scarlet's time waiting for the enemy to arrive.
 There is certainly an argument to be made that were Hoki a more experienced soldier she might of been able to prevent Scarlet from going AWOL.

And yet in this investigator's opinion, the Ensign still managed to complete her objectives and if anything held Scarlet in line for atleast a short time.
 Further information on the Black-box revealed details of a close friend of Hoki's who was killed by terrorists - This may bear further investigation but aside from this I believe Ensign Bachika's actions, though unordered, may very well of salvaged what might of become a failed operation.
 With more time and experience I believe Ensign Bachika could become both a brilliant pilot and a great leader of either mecha-teams or battlefields in general, much like her Father before her.

Threat Level and Assessment - Minor - No action is advisable, minor surveillance recommended.

SUBJECT C;
Name - Sabban Vint.
Alias/Titles - n/a.
Rank - Ensign.
Position - Test Pilot, Combat Pilot, Lt.Nilas'es Wingman.
Country of Origin - Bhaile's Moon.
Next of Kin - A Father(estranged).
Age - 20.
Gender - Male.
Sexuality - Straight.
Pilot Simulation Score - B-
Estimated 'Real' Ability - B+
Magi Ability - Untested.
Health Issues - Heavy Drinking issues verging on alcoholic, Diagnosed Depression.

Sabban is the only member of the Neo-Vijaik squad with no issues being levelled at him. He followed all orders issued and operation details fully, further he was not in any position of leadership during the battle.
 Sabban comes from a military family, his mother and uncle serving in the First War and the same uncle in the Remembrance-Incident (Both now deceased) - With members of his family for generations prior serving in various standing armies.
 This in mind it seems Sabban joining the military was less of a choice and more of a foregone family tradition - Yet in spite of this it seems Sabban had no qualms with this preordained career path - On the contrary his academy records list him as enthusiast, good-natured and generally a welcome presence.

That said the Current Sabban Vint is a far cry from this, he speaks only when necessary and shows clear signs of poor self-care (Aside from his physical fitness which if anything has improved).
 This has been diagnosed by the ship's doctor as a form of depression resulting from his time aboard the Tradech. During cadet core 117's first field-deployment (as lead by Sabban's childhood friend, Petty Officer 'Shasha Niju'), over two battles in under a week, the entire group bar Sabban were wiped out.
 Somewhat bizarrely for pilots, Sabban actually knew three of his comrades from before training and supposedly treated the fourth member like a younger-brother.
 As one can imagine the loss of these four hit him incredibly hard - He was demoted in this time for rage addled outbursts against a superior officer. (Note for more on this - Refer to Case No. #FF-GO-0030)

And yet despite this complete breakdown in his social skills and mental health, Sabban has remained a competent asset. During test piloting he has an innate skill for knowing how far he can push any given piece of equipment safely - And although he talks little, he acts well in combat - Following orders and capable of acting on initiative where necessary.
 Some of this appears to be due to influence Lt.Nilas, who despite initially disliking - Sabban now seems to of grown a deep respect or perhaps kinship towards, in what seems to be either a close friendship or mentorship type connection.

In all I believe Sabban is a lesser threat aboard the Fluchtig.
 His varying mental state is problematic but with both Kolme and Hoki supporting him, it is this investigator's hope he will not become unstable in a time of crises - And will instead continue to prove a large asset to the squadron.
 He should not however be given any more responsibility or leadership roles, than those he already has.

Threat Level and Assessment - Moderate - No action is advisable, moderate surveillance recommendable.

SUBJECT D;
Non-Commissioned-Officers;
Name - Unknown
Alias/Titles - Thee Scarlet Scourge (Official recognised Ace's Title), Bela Grimizan (Fake alias).
Rank - Warrant Officer.
Position - Senior Pilot.
Country of Origin - Abhaile (Precise region & location unknown).
Next of Kin - Unknown.
Age - Unknown (Estimated to be in her late 30s, to early 50s).
Gender - Female.
Sexuality - Unknown.
Pilot Simulation Score - C-
Estimated 'Real' Ability - Hyper-Lethal, Scarlet's abilities are considered near unmatched by all but a select few.
Magi Ability - Unclear.
Health Issues - Prosthetic Leg and single eye (Both lost during various combat situations), Dependency on illegal steroids 'Enhancers', Serious heart issues, A large collection of severe burns and scars that were not treated properly when inflicted - Resulting in lasting brands across her entire body.

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Let me start by being exceedingly clear, the incident that this reports documents is clearly the woman known as 'Thee Scarlet's Scourges' doing, more so than anyone else - But further, in Scarlet I believe almost every issue currently facing IAFS is made painfully clear.

To summarise the events of her actions - Scarlet followed Ensign Bachika orders up until she engaged with the enemy experiment G-type Casnel - Once engaged Scarlet cut communications and began to fight the enemy erratically.
 As the battle progressed she become more and more dangerous, refusing to retreat.
When the Casnel itself began to fall back, Scarlet in a barely functional machine, continued to chase the enemy - This ultimately resulted in Hoki, Sabban and Una all having to risk their lives in order to halt Scarlet's suicide assault.
 Scarlets history and service record is long, incredibly so if every rumour is to be believed.

In this investigator's opinion, I'm inclined to believe the following chain of events;
 - Scarlet became one of the very first test pilots for the Abhailen mech programme, before The First War had even started.
 - Like Lt.Nilas she was transferred around quite a bit. Starting in the 'Army Mechanised Warfare Core' during the invasion of Bhaile
 - In the later years of the war she found herself back in the navy during the retreat from Bhaile after the incursion failed
 - Finally I believe she was one of the secretive speical force's members.
[(The Abhailen Special Forces are an investigation in themselves. They travelled in small fireteams or aboard fast, light corvettes and frigates - All trained in both mech and speical-forces infantry style combat - During the war's final months they took increasingly desperate measures to slow the advancing TSU forces, as lead by 'The First Casnel';
 These including many assassinations and ambushes - Resulting in hundreds or even thousands of civilian causalities'. TSU has declared any surviving members of the division to be War-Criminals, however to this day not a single one of their members has even been found or brought to court. Some believe this means they were wiped out during the final days of the war - But more think their ability to work behind enemy lines, has made them near impossible to catch in civilian life.)]

 - Post war Scarlet spends many of the peacetime years independently attacking TSU convoys as a 'pirate'.
 - Finally Scarlet becomes a prominent commander during the remembrance incident, being given her own Casnel to pilot and leading a veteran force of over two dozen Vijaiks, she was considered second only to Remembrance's top leaders.
 - At some stage after the incident, Scarlet defects like many others, joining IAFS.
 - Post Incident #FF-OC-0002, Scarlet's new posting aboard the IAFS ship 'Mithril' ended in the deaths of that ship's entire crew except for her.

Truly Scarlet has lived an incredibly 'colourful' life, honestly one too long and detailed for the scope of this minor investigation to adequately cover.
 Most recently she was court-martialled for the destruction of the Mithril.
 It is my opinion upon reviewing that case for this investigation, that she was wrongfully incarcerated and is entirely innocent of conspiring with the enemy - I suppose her eventual release and posting to the Fluchtig (If in a demoted role) proves that others agree with me - However as mentioned in my report on Ensign Hoki, IAFS's lack of any real military police presence is a true disgrace and a miscarriage of justice like that of Scarlet's is just one example of how IAFS's internal-structures continue to be a major issue.
 
No indeed while I believe Scarlet was innocence of any fault at the 'Skirmish of the 4th', if anything deserving of a commendation - I do not believe Scarlet is 'safe'.
 In all likelihood Scarlet could be perceived as having been a revolutionist, a war criminal and a terrorist.
 Of course perspective plays a role here, Abhaile believed they were fighting for independence - Likewise the terrorist cobal, Remembrance, claim to be fighting for their sovereign rights.
 In fact many among IAFS come from Remembrance but few have lead quite the life of the Scarlet Scourge.
No name, no age, no family, no home. It is almost pitiable in a sense.

I'd be the first to admit my investigation into her is far from conclusive - There is so much we do not know about her - Foremost here is perhaps her dependency on the steroid called 'Enhancer'.
 It has come to light that Scarlet had been faking medical examinations in order to avoid this becoming public knowledge.
'Enhancers' are a drug made illegal before they were even fully patented.
 Nonetheless in the final days of the First War and even during the Remembrance incident - Abhailen speical forces repeatedly used the drug.
 It quite literally contains trace elements of the wonder-metal Goibniu (Or Magite colloquially speaking) - The same radioactive substance believed to give some people Magi abilities, the same substance used to make a Casnel's weapons and armour.
 The drug is sometimes called 'The Magi Maker' - Its effects are to greatly increase the mind's processing speed, response time and what can only be called 'intuition' - While in turn borderline shutting down the user's senses of taste, touch, sound, smell and even to an extent ability to feel pain.
 The drug's effects only last for a brief period, during which a regular pilots abilities become almost supernatural - However prolonged use of the drug has many negative effects.
 For one there is no cure to the addiction it causes, users have to take small tablet doses multiple times a day or even hour.
 With time, senses or the mind itself can become permanently damaged, users seldom feel comfortable in their down time - And most of all heart conditions become incredible prevalent due to such prolonged flow of adrenaline putting massive strain on the body.

During the battle against the Casnel, Scarlet's relentless assault only ended after she suffered a seizure - She is currently bound to the ship sickbay recovering from this - Had she not had this seizure she may well of continued to try pursuing the enemy Casnel.

Let me be blunt, Scarlet is thee most dangerous asset in IAFS but equally one of its greatest pilots.
 In her current state piloting a mere custom Neo-Vijaik I believe there to be only two other pilots who could defeat her in combat - Those being the Magi's of the Tradech, both of whom pilot our IAFS Casnels.
 If I were still an operative for ***-* I would not just advise but demand the immediate dismissal of Scarlet - Either on a charge of insubordination or based on her medical conditions - She is literally a ticking timebomb, waiting to explode in our faces.
 And yet I believe we will need her in the coming days. If her addiction to the drug can be curbed then she will be invaluable. It is my assessment that had anyone else been Ensign Hoki's escort that day, they would of been unable to hold off the Casnel for anywhere near as long as Scarlet did.
 As the only security officer aboard the Fluchtig, I could not in good conscious recommend her dismissal for fear of where that would leave us. She is a weapon of the utmost detriment. I only wish I knew better her exact motives for joining and fighting with & alongside us.

Threat Level and Assessment - Extremely High - Action advisable - Maximum surveillance recommendable and further investigation is required immediately.

SUBJECT E;
Name - Una O' Conchabhair.
Alias/Titles - 'The Rookie' (Unimaginative Nickname).
Position - Junior Pilot.
Country of Origin - Formally Nation State 5, Now Western Bhaile.
Next of Kin - Her Gran-Aunt.
Age - 18.
Gender - Female.
Sexuality - Bisexual.
Pilot Simulation Score - D.
Estimated 'Real' Ability - D.
Magi Ability - Untested (Unlikely to have any aptitude based on combat observation).
Health Issues - Strong Dyslexia, Anxiety.

Finally we have the groups youngest & newest member. Her accusation of insubordination is the least severe - She broke formation in order to shield Ensign Hoki Bachika from in incoming energy blast.
 Said blast destroyed 'The Rookie's' shield, arm and 90% of her cockpit's bulkhead along with causing a series of explosions to her machine. She is currently in sick-bay but expected to make a rapid recovery.
 All told she should probably be praised if anything for her brave deed & courage in saving her superior officer and squamate, even if her survival could be called meer luck.

Her background is one of very personal stakes.
 When TSU-s deployed toxic gas into Station 5's air supply, killing all its population - Una's parents and younger sister were killed. She herself was on one of her regular trips to her Gran-Aunt, who herself lost most of her family during 'The First War' - She is only alive by coincidence.
 Interestingly the genocide of Station 5 is one of IAFS's founding reasons for existence.

Una is a somewhat mediocre pilot, however surprisingly reliable.
 Despite her mech indicating levels of stress in battle and simulations that for others would result in a breakdown - Una manages to continue performing to a fairly stable degree.
 I think the biggest concern with Una is what motive a young girl like her has for joining the front line. It would seem likely she wishes some sort of revenge or resolution for all the family she has lost in this last decade - I only hope this drive does not result in her abandoning her duties for the sake of revenge at any point.

It also warrants mentioning that Una has had something of a troubled career. During her first deployment to IAFS 3rd branch - During an evacuation of that base, Una prioritised the safety of a Prisoner-of-War - She succeed only for the prisoner to turn on her, steal her mech and escape.
 She was afterwards confided to barracks for some months with no opportunities to train her piloting skills and offered multiple times backhanded deals to quietly leave the military.
 She is still not allowed to carry a sidearm because of this, something Lt.Nilas continues to file complaints about. (Note for more on this - Refer to Case No. #3B-PI-0005)

Threat Level and Assessment - Low - Advisable Una see ship Psychologist to assess her mental state and general wellbeing.

Conclusion;
In all honesty I believe my report demonstrates a great deal about the current state of IAFS.
 We are a rebel fleet lead by a capitalist board of director. We are short staffed with a crippling turn-over rate and much of our force have dangerous backgrounds. In other circumstances I would advise the immediate disbandment of the Fluchtig's Mech squadron.
 Kolme is a Sargent, playing at being an officer - Sabban is a mentally broken youth, Una has dangerous motives to do something problematic - Hoki lacks necessary experience and Scarlet is quite possibly a bomb laying in our midst.
 However, as I'm sure the readers of this report will be aware - There is no one else.
These five are bizarrely some of the best pilots not just in IAFS but in general.

Hoki has the highest marksmen scores I've ever had access to, Kolme is a surprisingly level headed leader, Sabban is immaculately talented and Scarlet may just be unstoppable in the right conditions. In this investigator's opinion they are both this ship's best chance at making an impact on the war - And the most likely group to get us all killed.
 I fear greatly for what the future weeks will hold for us all.

2nd Lieutenant ********
Report Ends.

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