The Neptunia Chronicles

The Defector

Andrew and Neptune woke up the next morning, tired as ever, but ready for anything. They walked down the hallway to the break room and, just like last time, got breakfast. The break room seemed a bit more empty than last time, as most people were still in Aurelius. They ate in quiet, and, when they finished, they got up and went back to their room.

"What a meal." Andrew said with a yawn. Neptune could only nod happily in reply. A little later, Luna walked in.

"Hey, Luna." Neptune said, a pocky stick in her mouth.

"Hey, Neptune. We're all going to Vitoze, as decided by Histy. Let's all pack our bags and get going." Luna said. Her words made Neptune and Andrew look at each other for a moment.

"Well, I can't be caught dead in a dress so close to the front lines. As far as I'm concerned, it stays hidden in the bag." Andrew says sternly.

"Good call. I doubt they would be very happy to see you dressed like that." Luna replied.

"Probably for the best, it seems." Neptune added, a hint of displeasure in her voice.

"Oh cheer up, Neptune. If it matters to you, we can do plenty of it at home when return." Andrew said, flustering.

"Good idea. I have a couple of outfits for you to wear as well." Luna replied, making Andrew grumble in embarrassment. After Luna left, both Andrew and Neptune began packing up their stuff, and they had everything packed and ready to go a minute later.

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Outside on the Tarmac, everyone was waiting. Their ride out was already there, and once again it was a Pelican dropship, fitted for executive transport. Next to it were three F/A 38s that would be escorting the Pelican to Vitoze.

"Is everyone here and ready?" Histoire asked. Everyone replied with a "yes" before they boarded the Pelican. After a short while, they lifted off the ground. Neptune and Andrew laid back as the ride progressed, listening to the hum of the engines and the chatter of the passengers. A while later, they land in Aurelius, and the door opens.

"Ah... It feels so nice to be back in Aurelius again." Luna said with a happy sigh as she breathed in the fresh air.

"You mean longterm, right? Because you were only here two nights ago." Avan asked, obviously confused.

"Yeah, I do mean longterm. I missed my home so much." Luna replied. It was then that Noire and Lance greeted them.

"Hello, you two. Having a good day, so far?" Neptune asked, a bright smile on her face.

"Far from it, but we're managing." Noire replied somewhat irritably.

"Huh? Is there anything wrong?" Cortana asked, concerned for the ground force stationed here.

"Heaven's Bane mercs made a counter attack last night. We drove them back, but sustained some casualties, pretty bad ones, too." Lance reported. Andrew just shook his head. It was all he could do, given what has happened.

"What is the exact casualty report?" Luna asked out of concern.

"Thiry-four dead, and sixty-two wounded, including twelve civilian casualties, all wounded." Lance explained, reading off the list he got from a medic's report.

"That doesn't sound good." Konata muttered unhappily.

"It isn't. This is the first time since our operation in the Western Isles weeks ago that we've suffered a number of casualties that actually made a hinderance to our war effort." Noire concurred, shaking her head.