((Logged 3/31/01 by Dirah))
Running down the clouds on heat waves is the signature red gear of Kislev these days. The Firebird itself is here, spreading its wings at the last moment to snap out of its dive. The wings flare in a bright splash of color. Yasha's here. And judging from the hurried mutters of the Kislev in camp at the sight she's probably not too happy either. That's what you get when camp's been astir all around here. The Firebird lands and the General vaults out. She lands and dusts herself off. "Oi," she mutters. "At least security's good *now*."
Ah, all the fretting and fuss of the camp can't seem to reach Dirah- she's annoyed enough by her own warrent that the camp.. Really doesn't seem to unsettle her more. And its a quiet annoyance, and bittersweet in its own way.. For there are a million mistakes and problems with their first quick Aveh leap to trouble with, matched with the peculiar relief to be home- even if it is only home by means of being friendly grounds, and otherwise utterly unfamiliar. But she walks down through the camp south of Lahan, without any true purpose or direction- she's unaware if she's required to do so, after all- seeming more content in more Kislevi attire- although in ways, just as revealing as the disguise she wore before. She pauses to the note of a Gear, unsurprised and unfretted, unlike the rest, and nods mildly as it lands. That would be the General, wouldn't it.
Yasha watches the first of the road dust settle on her boots after she lands. Can't keep them polished forever and even if they were that only showed not enough time on the real work. Seeing what looks like a civilian in camp, Yasha narrows her eyes in suspicion at first. But Dirah's known to her well enough. "Hey," she calls out, all rough-n-ready voice friendly after finally recognizing Dirah. Yasha begins to jog over. "Hmm. You're.. Dirah, right?"
Dirah grants a small grin to that and a nod, as Yasha yells and runs over. A civilian? Well, she's certainly gone to every pain to dress like one.. And why not? It feels -nice- to have the human liberty to look like herself again.. Well, as much as she could bright-eyed and pale haired. Pretending for ages and ages drove her -mad-. And what's odd with vacationing at your nearest military holding? "You've heard of me?" Ah, modesty? Not in the least. She knows very well that every person in this camp -better- well know who she is. Its just amusing to see just how much. "And you'd be the General Yasha, correct?"
"How could I have missed hearing of you? You are Dirah, a very important member of Kislev and its forces." Yasha flips into a jaunty bow and then straightens up. She brushes her hair back and grins at Dirah. "And you know me as well. Yes, I am Yasha." Good enough without titles and all that. Yasha falls into step with Dirah, just like any two people off the street on their way chatting after work. Yasha shoves her hands in her pockets. "Have you recently returned from your assignment? I was radioed to come and recieve reports from your Cerencia Lawson and yourself. I know they will be very helpful."
Dirah chuckles mildly in responce to such.. Ah, an important member of Kislev and all of its forces? Nice. Maybe it -was- worth it to dress up as a fashion-victim of a man for the sake of a country. "Ah, I'm honored to be given such compliments.." Honored? More like expecting and gleefully happy to finally have such, but no matter.., "And its nice to finally meet you, Yasha. I've heard all about your exceptional work here in holding this area." And just smile- its all polite formality, and no harm done in that. And she nods as Yasha walks along with her, in responce to her comment, "We returned barely a few days ago. I think you'll be pleased with what we brought back- its only preemptive data, of course, but we managed to do a tolerable much, in my opinion, in our first bout in Aveh."
Yasha grins lopsidedly at the compliment back. The pair of them trotting along with their pale hair--just like two civvies on the road, eh? Only one's an agent bearing an ideal for a country and the other's a bloodsoaked general. "I only hope to be able to back all of you up effectively," she replies. Serious but casual too. "My soldiers are proud for the dream they can have. I am very glad for that." Leaning down quickly she snaps off a piece of grass and twists it between her fingers while she walks and talks. "I recieved the fighting report by Tifa. I know the data you and Cerencia have retrieved will be invaluable to our cause." Our cause. Huh. "Dirah.. tell me, is there advancement possible in Bledavik and Dazil from what you have been able to see?"
Ah, an agent and a bloodsoaked general.. Hm, does it matter? We all have our sins and we all have our dealings and duties... What matters, is that they're able to have a perfectly nice conversation. While walking through forcefully taken land, and plotting to take more? Of course. But its a very properly nice conversation. "I'm sure you will, although I can only hope that -we- are not the ones needing direct backup." No, that would hail in catastrophe. No need to think of that. "We all have, all need dreams like that.. Its just well past time that Kislev finally gets to start seeing them. Its been ages since so many things went our way..." And she pauses, blowing a few stray strands of hair from before her face with an idle gesture, glancing up to the blue, blue sky, "And yet I fear I've seen no such thing, really. The farther you go into Aveh, the more numerous the Gebler.. I swear, there are so many soldiers in Bledavik that you'd think an army was stationed there, and yet I can't even find where they're coming from- they don't have an obivious camp. Dazil might be easier.. But its so close to Bledavik and so far from here that it might be a hard place to hold individually."
Sure thing. War is right here, and here's where it's supposed to be. "You're our best in that field. I know that we can count on you, no?" she says quietly, serious but not gritty. "So many soldiers. Even with the Tournament going on, after your estimations the territory is too difficult?" Abstract enough talk for serious matters. Yasha snaps the grass strand and lets the pieces fall while she walks. "That will be a problem. Our efforts must be concentrated on Nisan instead while the soldiers are away in Aveh. But Nisan is Peace.." Why does that really matter? Doesn't much unless you like reading riddles for your laws. "We might need you and the rest of the crew in Nisan instead for a little bit of work, Dirah." Yasha offers this as her eyes focus on other plans now. "We will need Dazil eventually. But if what you say is true, we will need more manpower. And each loyal to this dream." She looks over. "Is this your dream, Dirah? You do not seem like one of my soldiers in why you personally wish this."
Dirah chuckles mildly in response, a bit taken aback, despite how she was wishing such compliments, "The -best-? Ah, I wouldn't go as far as that, but I'm honored nonetheless." Correction- she -would- go as far.. But not publicly around a commanding officer. That's bad for one's military standing. "The tournament was the bad part, actually.. It drew so -many- of those Gebler out. For watching, yes, and for patroling, and for minding the riots at town, too... It's rediculous." And she frowns mildly, kicking at the ground mid-step, tossing a few rocks in her path, "Gebler is the -only- decisive force there. It wouldn't be such a problem if not for them." And she shakes her head mildly, and casts a glance up to Yasha, irritation lost in favor of curiosity, "The City of Peace?" Ah, the old debate, perhaps? That attacking Nisan is easy, with forces off in Aveh.. And yet, who wants to be the one to dare to conquer religion, or to topple more than just Aveh against them? "What sort of work do you have in mind?" All out attacks are risky... Certainly no one's planning that? She worries a bit, glancing away, biting mildly at her lip, before blurting out, rather unrelated to all, "My dream?" She pauses, a bit bewildered to the question. And adds, a bit quieter, "I, well.. What do you mean? Certainly, I probably don't have the same dream as most soldiers.. I imagine they all want some medal of valor to flaunt to their friends and significants at home."
"But here you are back from the lion's den." Yasha puts her hand back into its pocket and continues to walk as carelessly as if there weren't soldiers snapping to attention here and there at her and Dirah both. Never mind 'em. "Without Gebler.. if we could split Solaris from Aveh somehow. Perhaps later? If the Pirates do ally then they will become selfish. They will want what they feel is theirs and then Aveh and Solaris will be at odds. We will get them later." How smug she can be! Or at least confident. No reason not to be. Stroll a few more steps. "We have lost the Solarian ruler," she confides finally, "and we have only the Cobalt Wing Commander. Nisan must have its bastion of peace destroyed if I can enter it." Never mind it, y'know. "Jasper itself is much too risky. Before the Pirates can return to Nisan, we must be able to use your team's advantage to its utmost there. Leave them something to remember us by, yes? But not too violent." She keeps walking a little more in silence. "Dreams.. no, many of my soldiers want peace for themselves. They want their families to be proud and happy and healthy. They fight out of the urge to protect things." Yasha grins again. "That makes the best kind, yes? Do you fight for the same?"
Dirah chuckles mildly, "And its an awfully unpleasant place to be. I can't see how they stand the heat." The ultimate riddle of Aveh. Not why Gebler supports them or how they've managed to stay on top of the War for so long.. But how they manage or -want- to live in that blasted desert. Kislev was a much, much nicer place to be. It had water, for one. "That's.. An interesting idea, actually..." Ah, but complex. Utterly complex. And Dirah is not one to be able to fly through a concept as fast as a moment. It took time. Planning, detail.. And she nods, and waves aside the wonder with a hand, "Later, yes. Later." And she takes a few steps in silence, expressions falling to more outright a frown at the mention of one of the prisoners escaped, noting mildly, "-How-? She was in the highest security.. That's -remarkable-. Either that, or a display of incredibly distracted guards." The latter sounds more likely, but.. Well, there are other topics to relate to. And its hard to dwell on that with another utter curiosity to ask of her, "Ah, so you want us to go by Nisan and use our abilities to set things up there in our favor? And with minor violence.. Huh. How do you propose that? I'm afraid I can't think of any pirate connections to there -right- off the top of my head..." Shows how narrow -she- researched. And yet she falls to silence once more, pondering the wonder of dreams.. And chuckles mildly beneath her breath, "I fear I don't have any dreams as noble as that, then. What do I have to protect but myself? Well, and my country.. Kislev's been to good for me to not count her. But I've got family, sure.. But I'm not too close to them anymore." She gestures vaguely- dramatic, that, "I have been -perfectly- on my own since my start in the government. So.. While I wouldn't want them to be hurt, of course, I don't really fight for them alone, I suppose.."
Who'd want to live in a desert anyway? Okay apart from the nomads and stuff. And it was even more humiliating that, with the slight edge on natural resources that Kislev had over an entire desert country that Aveh was still winning. Blame Gebler for that last twist of fate. "The Empress.." Yasha shakes her head sourly. "I was away when it happened and no one can tell me exactly the right story. As best as I can guess, the Empress was switched either in transit or in Lahan itself shortly after her arrival." Yasha walks in silence for a little at just how stupid such a thing like that could have been after all their plans. "She came too easily during all that. Even the Cobalt officer fought a few times. We should have guessed that Solaris would have done *something* to keep its Empress safe. So.. we need someone else now. Any other leaders in mind?" Yasha crooks a grin and glances at Dirah. "Nisan should not have too much aggression against it lest the people react at a violation of their revered places, correct? And nothing too loud, or the Tournament forces will be drawn back before we can perform. Let this be a lesson to them if we can enact yet *another* stroke against them in Nisan streets." Yasha shakes her head and the end of her ponytail flicks. "The Yggdrasil must have been able to be in Nisan if the city was a center of the peace with them and Jasper. Why don't we see what we can pick up?" Good enough there for new directions to this war. "Then.. what *do* you fight for, Dirah? Do you fight for yourself and what you want to become in the world Kislev will create?"
"That makes not the faintest sense at all..." Swapped in transit? But that's.. Impossible, isn't it? But in all that moment of awkward silence, Dirah knows far, far better than to point out a problem that is certainly a great failure to Kislev and to the General.. And she nods shortly and merely adds, "It must have been some Solarian trick, then. That is true- we came by their Empress too easily. It would only make sense if it was simply something -too- easy." And Dirah listens in general silence to the most of what Yasha says then, uninterupting, and nodding at all the tactically correct moments. Other leaders? Minor violence? Dirah nods, drawing loose hair behind an ear before responding, "So, in short, you just want us to shake things up a bit? No violence, nothing obvious and panic-worthy.. That's all easy enough. Just something to scare them, and enough to unsettle those of the Yggdrasil when they return." And she pauses, piecing together thoughts at her own liesured pace, before she adds, "I wonder.. if that rumor was true. That the Yggdrasil is closer to Nisan than it ought?" She shakes her head- all wonder. And she looks a bit awkward to the final note, glancing back up to the sky. It hardly sounds.. well, proper, to say that you fight only for your own self progression. So what else -do- you fight for, Dirah? "Its true that I want to further myself. That I fight so I can prove that I'm more than just another B-Block, lower-middle class woman who wanted a job in politics without the talent to get it. That I'm not just a loudmouth for certain political officers to kick aside. And that I have -talent-, real talent, even when I'm young." And she shrugs, quiet a few moments more, trying to find a few more words to say, "But.. I guess that's not it. I didn't even realize it until I got here, but.. You know, its amazing how much I love Kislev, too. I didn't even -know- that until I went to Aveh. Patriotism sounded so corny then, you know? You sided with your country because you didn't have another choice. But seeing the other side, and how different it is.. It makes me happy to have grown up, and to be fighting for, my own home."
Yasha laughs suddenly. "I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the Empress to *begin* with." That would make much more sense than a really quiet woman taken captive who went along far too meekly to the entire thing, and then just up and vanished. "It was almost *too* foolish of the Empress to even be captured in the way she did. And not even an attempt by Solaris to get either of them back! Maybe we should have not laughed so hard." She shrugs. Nothing to get too worked up over, not when there was still a war to go on. Best to learn from mistakes. "We still have one Solarian prisoner.. that will be enough for Shevat if we are lucky." She rummages through her pockets while she thinks and then takes out a hand to toy with the end of the ponytail behind her back. The bright colors flutter against her pale skin. "We must move forward, while they may expect us to still be off balance. More of an investigation in Nisan to see if we can exploit your team's advantages any way we can before we lose that. Jasper is far too dangerous unfortunately. Nisan should still be safe. Allow yourself violence if you absolutely must but use it with great care." She shakes her head firmly. "If you can pin it on the pirates? Even better. If you can pin trouble on the Gebler on the pirates too.." She leans down easily in her strides to snap up another piece of grass and then tears at that one too. "Until you start fighting," she laughs, "until you get out there and walk around all the dreams just sound like that don't they? Until you realize they might be real if only you try. That also maybe there's a reason to be proud of where you come from after all." She grins at Dirah. "No regrets for War?"
Dirah nods mildly, "That would make a great deal more sense. It was far too convienient in the first place, wasn't it? To take Solarian prisoners and to have one be the -Empress-... Well, we can still make do with what we have, right?" And smile a bit, with that worry settled. Yes, yes, things can still be done with -one- higher Solarian. The Empress, while a preimier prisoner.. Is a bit too much to hope for. And mysteriously gone? Well, goes to show them to think they struck so big a jackpot. Perhaps next time. "Absolutely. We can't waste a moment- with any luck, the fools wont suspect -half- of what we're up to. After all." She smiles brightly, and angles her head over her shoulder a bit, to jerk her head lightly at the Sandcrusier behind them, "They wont expect -that-. Or much else, with hope. All the odds are in our favor. A little run through Nisan will surely serve to further our information.. And with any luck, we can cast some creative blame." Grin and grin.. For Yasha, for all her titles, is so -easy- to talk to. Strange, that.. Since most higher-ups demanded all means of decorum and titles galore. This was almost like strolling with a friend. And with not a snicker or a bitter note to her dreams. Dirah smiles, a bit more easily, and nods, "I suppose all dreams seem foolish until you realize just how real they are, and how much they mean. Its remarkable. Because it makes something that seems out of all reality.. Real. It gives you hope to make something of yourself. No. I've not a regret at all for War. Its unpleasant, but.. Well, we're learning from it, aren't we? All the time. And when its over, everyone left will be the better for it. I don't want to die.. I don't want to see anyone die.. And I really don't want to hurt anyone. But when it comes down to it, I'm still playing my role. And either way, War will bring out the absolute best in all of us.. And the worst, sometimes. But I hope the best will be what outlives this War."
"No. No one should expect *that*." Yasha laughs aimibly, nodding along with Dirah's train of thought. It's easy to forget in all this that the affirmed General could be just another youth who should be gossiping or drinking or wasting her time away somewhere. Never mind it. She's not that at all. Yasha kicks a pebble on the path with a jaunty twist of her foot and a hop. "You have done very well, Dirah, you and all your team. At the least a good check through Nisan will show us their defenses. You are all very creative and well-trained. I have great faith in you." Things that tie soldiers together. Or friends? Yasha doesn't mock at all to Dirah's things of hope. "It is giddy isn't it? That an idea you hold so far away, that you know you might be able to take if you just made the effort but you are not going to.. when you finally wake up and it is like you have only kept your eyes closed to it all this time, this reality you can make." Yasha takes her hands out of her pockets and crosses her arms while she observes the night patrols move back and forth at the perimeters visible. "And thank you greatly for your compliment to War. Yes.. it's just as important as anything else. People forget that sometimes. They will learn again if they have." She grins brightly and her teeth are even and white. "They will learn. To fight and remember to dream again than have the hopeless in Kislev with not even a reason to die let alone live. Do you feel alive these days Dirah? Sometimes it takes things like this just to feel.. finally *real*."
Dirah chukles mildly, "You flatter me, General. But thank you, nonetheless. We all trained so -hard- to be able to pull this plan off... It is only rewarding to know that everything is managing to turn out -right-. I only hope that I, and the rest of my crew, can be of use in the future as well." Her crew? Well, freudian slip. And no reason to bicker- Dirah has never been good at hiding her ego. And walking with Yasha.. Let her think that this is friendship, to be able to speak of things in a tone less than formal. It is calmer to her mind to believe that she can know those higher than her and not be brushed aside for being all that lower, "Its amazing. To take something so distant that it seems only some feeble tale.. And find it -real-. It gives one a sort of.. Ineffible strength." And she chuckles lightly, softly to that comment of war, giving a hopeless shrug. One could only vaguely wonder why, in the cold of a past-noon day, she doesn't freeze to death in the winds in such an outfit, "I take it most are grimmer of it? I suppose most would call me just inexperienced to say such a thing, to not know what really happens in war... I can only speak from a hypothetical scale, myself. I've seen some of it, but not the -brunt- of it. Not the full-fledged bloody destruction of it. But culturally, it improves us. It gives people something to strive for, something to work for.. Something to believe in. And I know I should be scared out here, working in the heart of Aveh.. But instead you know, you're right. Having a dream, and something to work towards, and something to measure myself to.. This wouldn't have happened if I had lived in a peaceful Kislev all my life. I'd probably still be scurrying for some minor political duty, where public relations couldn't get me.. Or something else just as dull."
Flightsuits and civilian clothes. Workclothes and play. "I compliment what deserves it." But too much praise is bad for an officer to give out and Yasha knows the use of that. She leaves the question of whose crew it is--hey, hasn't she referred to them as Dirah's team during this? Yes. Everyone needs certain things and officers and agents were the same. Yasha shrugs and lets it stay at that, turning on to other matters deftly before things get tied down to compliments turned awkward by volume. "Stories.." Things normally told only to children and that adults were supposed to have outgrown. Hah. Yasha chuckles to herself. "It is quite amusing how the same creatures that we are told live under beds only change their homes to underneath our Gears, yes? We are told to forget the things we dream about and stay with this tired world. This Kislev." Yasha waves her hand to the northish. "Instead we have hope now. I know that people who hate this will spit at me for the children who play at shooting each other in the street but they will never know the games they had to play before. And you are a part in bringing them this light, Dirah." Yasha smiles to her. "Even the veterans who are employed are like children again. They have been given something that they can die for. They know they will not be wasted." The worst of all things for a soldier. Or even for anyone maybe. Yasha's boots crunch along the gravel of the path. "But now people are testing their limits. They remember how good it is to really *taste* the air they breathe when it could be their last. They remember love because their loved ones may be taken away. War.. and what now Kislev can fight for. And you are a part of this Dirah. You help to carry the flame."
Ah, yes, complimenting a soldier too much will get to their head. But this is really no big threat for Dirah, is it? She's already got a bloated enough ego that this isn't likely to overthrow her opinion of herself that much. What could she say after all? 'The General complimented me!' When she likely complimented Cerencia and Tifa just as much for their own work? Bah, no matter. Its just another memory to remember and recall later, when she returns to Kislev a successful heroine. Just move on, Dirah. Even you have better things to do than muse about your own greatness, "Hm, I suppose so. People learn to fear other irrational things as time goes on. From monsters to the desperate hope that their dreams will be crushed.. Either way it drives them to find a way to defeat it, doesn't it?" And while Dirah doesn't not appreaciate the thought- to be compared with children. It wasn't an image she fancied herself well with. "But that's true.. All true.." And she really can say no more- Yasha has stated it all quite evenly well. All Dirah has to add is a rather untraceable emotion-touched voice of, "Its sad to think of all the children that -will- go out and die. Or what will happen to the children when the War ends, and they know no other way of life. But.. For all that that is sad.. There are always those other children who survive to become great, and to remember who they are, and remember what they fought for. Isn't that what all the old veterans, too old to fight, say? That they saw so many give their lives for the country that we should never belittle it.. It seems silly, then. But like all dreams, its something now. I suppose that's all one can hope for."
Yasha laughs lightly again. "To see old soldiers like young boys and girls again, eager to go out and do something.. it is very impressive, I think. But children themselves are a different story. Not too much so." For hadn't she told the Cobalt officer that no one was spared from War's hands? True enough. "The children who survive will remember how precious life is. If they learn nothing else then they might learn that.. children on both sides. We don't play here." But by the twist of Yasha's grin, this could be all play. Just as long as it all meant the same. "We wake up and realize that the dreams we have, we can dedicate ourselves to. There is not much more worse than an old veteran with nothing left for themselves to hold onto. I think," Yasha reflects, "that people who want to tear down what they call nation's illusions should see the eyes of the old first. All these things. All these stories." She grins and her energy's back again despite all the morbidity of the conversation. "We are living them, Dirah. Let us be worthy of being written even if we will be called the ones in black or the ones in white." Yasha holds out her hands in front of her and flicks her fingers out in a gesture of emphasis. Then her radio crackles in a request from back at camp. Yasha frowns at it before giving a quick reply. "I am sorry Dirah," she explains. "The work does not end, yes?"
Dirah grins mildly, listening to the lot of with with nods and consideration.. It is odd, to hear someone so utterly and open praise war. But have you not always thought similiar things, Dirah? On a distant and psychological level, of one measuring from a distance the worth of a war you only know in numbers. But it makes -sense- to hear someone say it, as unsettling as the idea is.. And it makes sense. For that is the sort of justifcation Dirah needs- that she is not just out here to hurt people, but to better herself and better even more. So that others can come after her and continue to do so. Even if Dirah is only playing a small part. And for all of that, she can only note, "Well spoken, Yasha. Well spoken.." For she is devoid of comments now, drifting towards that sort of pondering thought that one is often left to when given something that is important to onesself to consider. Let us be remembered, even if it is good, even if it is evil. Do something and live. And Dirah glances over at the sound of a radio and grants a light smile and a nod, "No need for apologies. We all have things to attend to. I suppose that is a bad part of war? The lack of free time?" And she grins, despite playing on such a morbid subject and adds, far more seriously, "Then its been a pleasure talking to you, General."
Yes. Sense. Somehow in this kind of context it also makes as much sense for someone this young to be walking around with soldiers twice her age sworn to follow her to the death. It all makes *sense* here. Sure, strip away one level of comforting thoughts to replace them with another but how much worse was it to simply take up a purpose instead of believing that violence or struggle were things that happened to other people? There's a fire burning here and there's a good reason the General is the Phoenix. There's a burning in these hearts and watch it spread. "Yes perhaps but I do not mind the lack of time. This is my life." Honest enough. The General does nothing else. "Thank you for speaking with me, Dirah. I will value it. And I will see you again perhaps before you go to Nisan, but if I don't then take care during the trip." She flashes a grin and turns to jog off after a jaunty wave. The flare of her ponytail is like a beacon in the night.