Ninth: A Tactical Decision (Text; anon)

[corpsewarblade]

(TW: Murder/Sororicide, Betrayal, DR Spoilers)

[The last few months had given Mukuro a lot to think about- especially with regard to her own death back home. One part still didn't make any sense to her:

What had she done wrong? Why had Junko killed her?

...It was with those thoughts swimming around in her head that she sent another late night message to the network.]

27 AUG XX, 0324

Reviewing the strategy from a recent battle at home. I want to understand the rational for the decisions taken.

A soldier is engaged in a stealth/undercover mission. However, they have made a mistake that risks the operation's success, and have not realised their error.

The mission commander is in a position to eliminate the operative to preserve their mission, without exposing themselves in the process.

Is that course of action reasonable? To put it another way- under what circumstances would you consider sacrificing one of your own men to ensure a mission's success or to prevent it's failure?

Don't feel you have to answer.


🔪

Comments

[leicesters]

So you were close, and she betrayed you.

Forget all of that military junk, then. You're a person who was hurt by someone you cared about. It's only natural you'd be confused and upset.

[corpsewarblade]

[It took a while for Mukuro to reply, finding her eyes blurring as she focused on what he said- ]

I was
Her bodyguard
Right hand

I knew she'd kill me eventually

It's...despair. Maybe that's why. So I would feel the despair of being betrayed.

I don't know. It hurt more than I expected.

[leicesters]

If you knew she would betray you, what compelled you to stay by her side?

[corpsewarblade]

It's like I said I was the only one who really understood her

She trusted me
She needed me

[She cared about her deeply, after all.]

[leicesters]

She needed you like any tool is needed: until it breaks or outlives its purpose.

I'm sorry you went through that. But you have a second chance here, one where you're not beholden to her, or to anyone else. You can dwell on how she cast you aside, or you can find your own meaning beyond whatever mission she gave you.

[corpsewarblade]

My own meaning? How do I do that? There's people here I want to protect, is that enough?

...But, if she comes here, she'd want me to be on standby, ready.

[And then a hesitation, before: ]

...At which point does a dead Soldier stop trying to salvage the pieces of a mission from home.

[leicesters]

If there are people here you want to protect, yes, that's enough. Think of it as your own personal mission if that makes it easier. Either way, it's a new purpose.

Besides, the calamity is more pressing than any task you may have had back home. You can speculate all you like about your superior, but she has no idea what's going on here or what's at stake. Right now, her orders are irrelevant.

[corpsewarblade]

Yes. There are. People I care about here I mean.

A new mission, to protect them. That makes sense.

[That thought seemed to slot into place neatly in the back of her mind- that was something she could do.]

If she knew about the calamity she'd
I think even she'd be surprised.

[leicesters]

[She seems to be taking his words into consideration; good.]

Who wouldn't be? I doubt anyone here has dealt with anything on a scale like this before, except perhaps the gods.