/ Duel Universe
/ Author: The Cowboy of Oklahoma
/ Ch 39.1: H.E.I. Past Events [Redacted]
/ word count: 1456
Military Journal Entry: 370
Name: Cpt. Ka'an Freeman: HMCS Baddeck
Entry: Reevaluation
Topic: Review
Clearance: Top Secret
[system command: File Restricted]
JD: 0112080, Day 270
I was recently informed of an incident on Oct 31, 2079, All Hallows Eve Earth custom. The events that happened at the Human Encampment, which I was not present for nor was I able to quell the opposition. An attack was perpetrated and a subsequent duel was won. The damage was then mitigated by our joint forces with the monsters and their monarch. An individual was thought to be murdered and few suspects, if any, can be pointed out as to whom may have done this. The deceased was one Ben Barrett, [name redacted] a good soldier, and duelist. In his last report, he was in the top twenty [score redacted] of being able to clear the training courses. I hope we can one day find out just who was responsible for this act.
Below is an added entry from one Doctor Meredith Malone, formally of the Mars Colony, Bowie Base One, detailing the event in question.
Military Journal Entry: 289
Name: Dr. Meredith Malone: Platform Washington
Entry: Ascertain
Topic: Human Encampment Investigation [H.E.I.]
Clearance: Top Secret
[system command: File Redacted]
78311 EMT
JD: 3062079, Day 198
The incident, which can best be described as a 'short invasion' and the subsequent duel between Harper Dmari [name redacted] and the Vampiric [species redacted] proxy, Camula [name redacted] then their Vampiric Lord, [name redacted] correction; the monster's name is 'Vampire Lord,' [name redacted] has left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. The festive atmosphere has been eliminated with the night's incident, including the dead body found. The body is that of one Ben Barrett, [name redacted] found just on the outskirts of the festival's designated area. Harper Dmari, [name redacted] the proposed girlfriend and champion duelist of the night, was understandably inconsolable and had taken it upon herself to duel the vampires. [species redacted] Once the duel was finished and the enemy was sequestered, a team was dispatched to the scene of the crime. It took several guards to hold her back, in of which she was eventually threatened with time in the brig if she did not calm herself. Her friends took her away to mourn for her loss, Harper Dmari, [name redacted] while understandably distraught, was denied further access to the body. The human doctors, scientists, monster medics, and the command structure are the only ones that know the full extent of what happened to the body.
An autopsy was performed on the body, but the cause of death was labeled top secret by command. The report states that the body was evidently torn apart from the inside out, or an unknown device was used to eliminate the individual. [sentence redacted] I speculated that a small remote device could have been used to detonate the innards. [sentence redacted] The speculative vampiric [species redacted] death marks, normally two small puncture wounds found on the neck, or the throat being ripped out entirely, were not present on the body. However, the vampires [species redacted] still remain as prime suspects in this incident. There was no blood trail leading to or away from the body. No blunt-force trauma could be found. The body did not show any indication of being dropped from any significant height, and there were no noticeable burn marks, which all but eliminated any sort of conventional explosive. [sentence redacted] All findings have been labeled inconclusive and shared with the appropriate command structure.
Everyone was ordered to return to their designated shelters. Skepticism running among the populace, wondering if command truly has their best interests at heart. Through these cruel acts, animosity began to grow towards the monsters in general, though the Monarch of these lands, Dark Magician Girl, herself was among those terrorized and was even keeping a number of our populace protected with a shield, lowering it only to stave off further potential killings. Concerns on how the average monster is much more powerful than an average human, and how they could just roll over the remainder of our populace with ease. [sentence redacted] As much as this information is true, their Monarch has tried to ease their fears by saying that 'the majority of her species just want peace between our respective races'. However, almost no human would listen to her. Rumors began to spread that the monsters were no longer trustworthy and work on the Device [item redacted] has suffered and was almost brought to a halt due to the animosity growing among the populace. Then, General Gregory Marcellus, Fleet Commander, tried to put an end to these feelings with some well-meaning words of encouragement for the populace.
Speech enclosed below:
General Gregory Marcellus; Fleet Commander:
"My colleagues, my friends, my people. We have overcome so much these past few years. We lost our homes. We lost our world. We have even lost our loved ones. We were adrift through the vast emptiness of space. With limited resources and no true direction on where to go, but we endured. With dwindling hope, and our dreams dashed, we endured. We worked hard to improve our odds of survival when we discovered the energy released from playing a mere card game gave us hope, so we endured. To try and save our world by harnessing that same energy, we endured. To use that same energy to propel us across the vast emptiness of the void, we endured. Now we know, the world we knew is not gone! It is still out there! Waiting for us to return! We now have a chance to save it from the darkness that has stolen it from us! We must continue our efforts if we are ever to get it back! We must complete the Device [item redacted] if we are to have even the slightest chance of succeeding! So please stand with me! Help me, help us to help our new friends who have given us this one final opportunity to save our world! We will return to our home, we must! We will prevail in our endeavors! We will survive! We will endure!"
Work resumed on the Device, [item redacted] though there was still some animosity going around, but it seems that we may still be able to complete the mission on time. Command then decided on an order of maneuvers that may help quell the populace's worries. Two of the Corvette class battlecruisers were ordered to lower their orbits, to hover near 500 to 1000 feet above the deck around the encampment until ordered otherwise. The USS Gotango, [vehicle redacted] commanded by Captain Thomas Riker, and The HMCS Baddeck, [vehicle redacted] currently commanded by Chief Operations Officer Julian Garrack. The two most notable ships that were used during the last battle of Earth, were a beacon for the masses to know that command does think of them. In closing, this incident has made past and possible future events all too clear that we need to hurry and finish this joint endeavor. The process of cleansing, if we succeed, will be relatively quick, but to return the world to a more livable condition with monsters [species redacted] using their resources to rebuild and replenish our own.
Military Journal Entry: 371
Name: Cpt. Ka'an Freeman: HMCS Baddeck
Entry: Personal
Topic: Past Events
Clearance: Top Secret
[system command: File Restricted]
JD: 0112080, Day 270
The events both in and out of the encampment, have revealed that there are one or more enemies for us to beware of. From what I have gathered, the vampires [species redacted] were just wanting a food source and what better than a new resource of rare human blood? [item redacted] The Fiends [species redacted] that had kidnapped Lt. Cmdr Shelly Carson [name redacted] and her adopted sister Akiza Izinski III [name redacted] revealed that there is an enemy even among the monsters. They had done unspeakable acts to them both. Followed by the event at the Oceanica with Steve Bensen [name redacted] and his subsequent use of a set of monster cards that rivaled the god card [item redacted] currently held in my deck. This was followed by the events far outside the encampment where a number of Beasts [species redacted] came after me personally and I had to duel them to a standstill, where they eventually overwhelmed me. Then when they had apparently returned and were held back by Lt. Cmd Carson [name redacted] until she too was overwhelmed with their mounting numbers, taking the collected numbers of the Gorilla clan, [species redacted] which was housing us at the time, to come to her rescue and my own before. More details in a future report.