Zeroth Directive

Archive II

Unlike your run-of-the-mill wandering Sarkaz mercenaries, Ines has changed teams a few times in her lengthy career. Betrayal and animosity were common in the Scar Market, yet regardless of how her employers changed, Ines always seemed loyal to her partner—Hoederer. Whether the word 'loyalty' accurately describes it or not, Ines has refused to reveal more about her personal relationships. Since the Victoria Incident, Rhodes Island's contact with Sarkaz forces has become more frequent. Ordinary operators were not aware of that background, but for those of us who have been with Dr. Kal'tsit and Amiya for some time, seeing an old acquaintance didn't feel nostalgic so much as heavy. —Anonymous Sarkaz operator Ines may be too shy to say it, but not Hoederer. I've heard the story of how they met, and they were probably just teenagers at the time. The Sarkaz don't really observe anniversaries, nor are they particularly aware of dates in battle. But I guess Ines still remembers those days. She remembers how she, in the white birch forest, was forced to stain her hands with fresh blood, how she survived by hook and by crook. She remembers how that Sarkaz youth with a knife suddenly descended from the sky, coldly counting bodies, calculating bounties, and unexpectedly extending a hand to her... When Hoederer talks about these things, his expression doesn't change at all. He talks like he's recounting a war story. He doesn't even blush! In any case, shortly thereafter, Ines became Hoederer's right-hand woman, even though the young Hoederer didn't have his own team at the time. According to him, after leaving the white birch forest, Ines spent each day honing her skills physically and also modifying them with Arts, all to become a true Sarkaz. What? Invading an employee's privacy? Do you really think it's beneficial for Rhodes Island when a Sarkaz mercenary uses 'privacy' as an excuse to conceal her history and relationships? That's called due diligence! Furthermore, they've been partners for so many years and have even worked with Ascalon and Scout. You make it sound like all that can stay under wraps... Huh? Fear of retaliation? Her Arts? Oh my... In an office shadow-stepping contest, only Ascalon can beat me. Wait, do her Arts not require contact with shadows? —■■■ Ines has always maintained a certain distance from other mercenaries—and operators. Her Originium Arts make her uniquely skilled at knowing how to treat others with caution—especially on the battlefield. But Ines doesn't preclude herself from interpersonal interactions because of this. She understands well the benefits that come with investing 'trust' in the right people, and her Arts happen to be adept at screening for 'trust.' Therefore, during the Kazdel civil war, Ines's skills as a spy were without equal. Her nurturing of informants and orchestration of defections were always impeccable. Perhaps Rhodes Island doesn't have need of these brutal methods right now, but I hope the Doctor recognizes her abilities as a soldier—not just an operator—and will manage to win her 'trust.' She used to be very distrustful... of who you were then. By the way, among the 'Rhodes Island operators' that the Doctor is familiar with, Scout was among the first to earn Ines's 'trust.' As for Chernobog, Ines will one day clarify things herself. I won't speak for her. —Ascalon Ahaha, that night in the white birch forest, that's too good, need a copy of this. Let Kal'tsit know for me. —Anonymous access record; even though I can guess who did it, HR gave up the investigation for security reasons.

Archive IV

Ines always has one piece of advice for operators heading to Kazdel for the first time—don't get hung up on Kazdel's friction with Rhodes Island's values. The longstanding conflicts in the Kazdel region have bred a thriving trade of opportunistic arms smuggling. Smugglers are eager to incite various mercenary factions through covert manipulation or direct bounties. However, these foreigners walking the paths of Kazdel have also become lucrative prey for mercenaries. Many arms smugglers from Leithanien and small contractors from Columbia have gambled everything only to be left empty-handed after a raid. As a mercenary operating in Kazdel, Ines had her share of such operations. She once witnessed her team swiftly wipe out a convoy of Leithanian smugglers, leaving behind only a Caprinae boy. Such displaced foreign children in Kazdel are not rare; after their parents' deaths, they hold no value. Sarkaz aren't inclined to bother with them, either leaving them to fend for themselves or driving them into the harsh northern forests to experience the land's cruelty. Sarkaz mercenaries revel in such 'entertainment.' There must be someone to exact revenge for the flames these smugglers help fan, and these bewildered young outsiders often make the best targets. As for the Caprinae boy, Ines did what a Sarkaz should. She gave him two choices—stay by his parents' corpses and perish, or be thrown into the solitude of the northern birch forests to die alone. 'Why not give the boy a chance? He's no threat.' 'Only a Sarkaz can survive in Kazdel. Before I tossed him into the forest, I gave him a file to use. His one lifeline.' Perhaps Rhodes Island can save the unfortunate souls before us, but what about those we can't even perceive? Our abilities are ultimately limited. The chaos of Kazdel is like a vortex, drawing in all ambitious ripples, brewing greater waves, waiting to engulf everything. 'Stow the excess sympathy. At least until the day when the war ends for real.' And for those operators doubting the authenticity of Ines's words, she'd recommend they take a trip to the northern birch forests. 'The only difference between me and that Caprinae is I walked out of the forest and survived to this day. I learned from it.' She describes it as a place filled with not only bones and beauty, but also traces of the many who tried to survive. 'In those forests lies the secret to surviving in Kazdel.' 'It's not every time that someone comes to your rescue,' Ines concludes softly.

Search

Ines

Archive I

Promotion record

Outfits

Operators

Archive II

Archive III

Archive IV