[b][i]Intermission Four - Darkest Hour (End)[/i][/b]

[b]La Trinidad de Manila Academy - 12/1/2022, 8:29, UTC+8[/b]

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[i]Far Eastern University In Real Life; the location and structures are used for La Trinidad de Manila in this timeline for convenience [/i][/center]

An interaction that would have to be continued in a Flashback...

[b][i]Refugee Camp North of Manila - 12/3/2022, 11:05, UTC+8 (Three Days Later)[/i][/b]

The foes were suppressed in the next few minutes, although this skirmish showed that insurgents, despite not having Noble Arms, were not to be underestimated. As the survivors of the warlord forces were arrested, it was all Crown Prince Shinyahito could do to stop the refugees from lynching the captured foes; due process had to be observed lest they become no better than the enemy. His next words to Cristina were, "Yes, I'm planning something. Maybe a visit to Lubao and Flores Pagkanta Corriente; she's caused enough trouble to our rear areas."

He then mused, "It's best that my sister not participate in that visit, however, a Japanese Imperial Princess burning down a Philippine City will dig up memories of the 1940s not related to Noble Arms. Speaking of that... Do you know that most of the first Japanese Arms Masters gained their Noble Arms by realizing that their war was wrong?"

Another interaction that may need to be turned into a flashback...

[b][i]Mission Five - La Naval de Manila, Segunda Vez/Segundo Beses/Second Time[/i][/b]

[b]BRP Jose Rizal - 12/25/2022, 5:03, UTC+8[/b]

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[i]BRP Jose Rizal[/i][/center]

Built by the South Koreans for the Philippines in much better times, the BRP Jose Rizal was a smooth, tall ship that looked like a mobile fortress on the horizon, whose battlements were brimming with missiles and autocannons, and whose raised deck was able to hold a helicopter. Now, it was the centerpiece of what remained of the Philippine Navy, which was waiting to rendezvous with the combined Korean and JSDF fleets, as well as a US Navy Carrier Group. Rear Admiral Adrian Absalo, Task Force Obsidian's patron and most reliable source of support, had gotten sick due to the stress of his job; he hadn't been the same since the failed 'diplomatic meeting' at Phnom Pheh. 

This put the Philippine Navy under the command of Admiral Yi Yeol, an old grandfatherly man with a finely-groomed white beard and mustache, who had chosen to meet with Task Force Obsidian's remaining members in the BRP Jose Rizal, instead of his own Sejong the Great-class Destroyer. Accepting the hospitality of the Filipino Ship's briefing room, the Admiral faced Myron and the much-diminished group of Arms Masters, now bereft of Nico Makri and Lei Qingshe, as well as 'Sister' Marta Rocha and, of course, their leader, Noel Alonso.

"People of Task Force Obsidian; those who fought so hard and so long and made so many sacrifices," Admiral Yi said in a solemn tone that reverberated with respect; his English was near-perfect. "We stand at a crossroads. Nico Makri has vanished, while Lei Qingshe has been forced to fake her death [i]or[/i] is Superbia's prisoner. First Lieutenant Noel Alonso himself is in the hands of the enemy, but a mission is underway to rescue him; you can thank Myron for guilting the Seven Virtues to do it [i]for free[/i]."

His eyes met Myron's; the Special Agent bowed down in acknowledgement. Then the Korean Admiral continued, "Now, for the game plan."

There was a projector screen in the briefing room of the ship, which showed everyone a map, complete with estimated dates, times, and predictions of allied and enemy movements.

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[i]Custom Map, Commissioned for 150 Philippine Pesos OOCly[/i]
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"As you can see," Admiral Yi Yeol spoke, "I've estimated the simplest, yet also the most effective courses of both our naval forces and the enemy's. Both sides' strategies are simple - The Chinese want to break us before we can fully organize and consolidate, then push on to join up with warlord forces in the City of Lubao, assuming it has not fallen to the PGNS' forces by now - The Crown Prince has decided to help take that place and arrest Flores Pagkanta Corriente, by the way. But enough tangents; we've rendezvoused and gathered, and we can now push west, and meet the Chinese PLA Navy at a place of our own choosing."

Looking at Myron and the rest, the Admiral continued his briefing with, "The BRP Jose Rizal and Task Force Obsidian will be essential to this; the PRC's 'Chinese Zodiac' has been much diminished as well, and we expect you to strike the killing blow. Cao Bao, one of their prime assets and the one who we believe was responsible for Qingshe's... disappearance, may also be in the Chinese Flagship, the Guangdong-class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier. If the reports are true, kill him. If they're not, just put down the remnants of the Zodiac. Either way, the dates on the map are accurate; they do show that you have two to three days before the battle starts - I recommend that you talk among yourselves, prepare, and pray for victory."

[@Chiro][@Nimbus][@Gerlando][@Digmata][@ctrlsaltdel][@Ducksworth]