Miriam's Journal

**Miriam's Journal** is a diary kept by Miriam, a soldier of the Sunrise Empire; the entire journal is written from her point of view, detailing events before and during the *V2 Universe* television series, revealing a lot about Miriam's mentality, relationships, and the inner workings of the Sunrise Empire and its operations.

## Pages 1-10

### Page 1

*[This page is mostly blank but 'MIRIAM (NLN)' is scribbled in red pen up top. A couple of chibi-esque doodles of various Sunrise members' heads can be seen. Miriam, Amada, Khan, Siegfried, Trixie, and Kyoshiro.]*

### Page 2

I didn't think I'd be doing this. Khan, Amada, and I were sent to an abandoned schoolhouse and church to loot for supplies. Awfully lonely place, the church. They had a lot of pews stacked in the corner... makes me wonder how long it's been since anyone's prayed there. But Khan was in the mood for some scavenging, and I thought it'd be good EXP for Amada. He's still a little jumpy - Khan thinks he's weak, and I don't exactly disagree with him.

But there's something abt the boy I like.

I found this journal inside a safe - had to get Khan to break the lock. I didn't expect him to be so good at it. Something about it... stuck with me. Not sure why. Not sure why it's empty, either. It's a \*nice\* journal. Tall, full of pages. The cover feels really smooth. When we returned to base, Amada suggested I write in it. I told him I couldn't afford to get distracted.

But here we are. There's something soothing about it. Semper fi, ad astra.

### Page 3

**CQB**: Ladder up to dive board with cable for descent.

Position 1: 3 targets/T's (pistol). POS 2: hit stairs (remember surprise T). POS 3: flash. POS 4: several T's. Strafe and spray w/ SMG. POS 5: 1 T in front (knife), 3 in corner room (pistol/SMG, depends). POS 6: sprint to FINISH.

TRIAL 1: 52.8 secs.

TRIAL 2: 47.2

TRIAL 3: 46.1

TRIAL 4: 38.8

TRIAL 5: 48.4

Last trial was sloppy. Failure is NOT AN OPTION. Kyoshiro and Kai hold the squadron record. Kyoshiro's advice: keep flashes close at hand, hook the corners with gun prematurely drawn.

Kai's advice: switch to pistol instead of reloading SMG. Frankly, I think both of them are brilliant.

KYOSHIRO: 19.1 secs.

KAI: 19.7 secs.

**AIM FOR THE TOP! SEMPER FI**

### Page 4

I was in Zilkhstan with Kyoshiro and Khan when the prison riot happened. Some casualties, but from the sounds of it, Siegfried and the Commmanders had the situation handled in minutes. "Child's play," I heard Lord Siegfried call it. Khan wishes he could've seen it. It's incredible, really. I wish I had a mind for tactics like they did... it feels like I'll need it if I'm to join the Arcana (the ENDGAME). Tactics aren't exactly a Gladian cornerstone, though. Strength above all - ad astra.

More PT and O-Course tonight at Ashwood (training cmpd). I felt inspired. Amada's getting better, matching pace with me and learning how 2 properly breathe. Good for him.

Cavalot is amazing. The GV77 has been fined and refined to a fault by Dr. Mendes, and Siegfried's intuition was right. It's like the Armor and I work as one. My sync ratio with the Armor gets better with every day. It's only a matter of time!

*[A small drawing of Cavalot's head.]*

### Page 5

Ark Fleet is drawing near. Everyone's been busy: Death in Port Janson, Empr/Emprs/Judge in Zilkhstan. Kyoshiro's been doubling down on training - good. Soldiers around me complain about the "incessant" training. Alanna and the Elder would've given them \*triple\* the work for their complaining. Khan agrees with me, thinks our comrades complain too much. He's been refining his Code - he's hungry for a fight, and frankly, so am I. A chance to prove myself. Amada's going to sit this one out - he'll be on the homefront, helping supply & tech teams. Not a bad approach, honestly. I don't think I'd have the patience for that kind of thing...

A lot of training with Cavalot. Siegfried's been observing these sessions personally. I feel more and more motivated whenever he's around.

**SYNC RATIO**: 71% (ABOVE AVG). REMEMBER **BREVITY CODES**:

**PINK, RED, BLACK, WHITE, ORANGE** - COMPLETION OF OBJ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

**BLUE 1-5** - ABORT ANY OF THE ABOVE [EX.) IF **BLUE 1**, ABORT PINK; IF **BLUE 2**, ABORT RED]

**GREEN** - ABANDON AND RETREAT

### Page 6

I think I understand the 'calm before the storm' now. After some PT and a little more CQB (34.1 this time!!), out of the blue, Siegfried approached me personally. He smelt like lavender. He handed me some money and ordered me to fetch him some wine from Cedar Valley (one of the closest locations to Bismarck - I fetch supplies from there, a lot). A "Milo 11", some kind of amber-colored malt. I jogged to the store (Cedar Valley is beautiful, provincial), and I was taken aback when the clerk didn't even question it. I'd forgotten the drinking age in GT was only 16.

*[A drawing of the tall bottle.]*

When I came back, Siegfried asked me a few questions while pouring himself a glass. He asked me about my training, about Cavalot, about how I've been handling everything. I answered honestly - what else could I do? Anything else would be a disservice to him. His next question took me by surprise: "Are you prepared to die?" I'd never been asked that before. For Gladians, death is only a concern when it finally comes for you. Anywhere else, it's irrelevant to think about.

I knew exactly how to answer, though. -->

### Page 7

*[cont.]* I told him that I'm always prepared to die. And then he asked me if I valued my life. It took me a second, but it hit me: he wasn't just asking me this to pass the time. He was testing me. Seeing if I was reckless. If I had dreams of martyrdom... which I don't. Arrogance like that clouds your vision. Ruins the mission. I told him (paraphrasing): I'm prepared for the worst... but I'm not ready to die, not while I can still do something for this world. For the Sunrise.

He was quiet for a moment before pouring a second glass. He offered it to me. I don't drink.

...This was my first drink.

It was sweet. Very smooth, fruity undertone.

And then the world changed. Siegfried told me that I would be given deputy command over the operation, and that I'd be riding Cavalot into battle alongside the Tsukuyomi. I was stunned. He rustled my hair and told me: "I'm expecting greatness. Semper fi." And then he left.

...I've never felt like this for anyone before.

When I told Khan and Amada abt my assignment, they were ecstatic.

### Page 8

**TACTICAL LAYOUT 4 ARK FLEET (!!!):**

Hostile Strength: HIGH (territorial control)

ROE: (Most) civs expendable. Focus on hostile, check 4 crossfire

EX Points marked on map (check red slot inside GV77)

ENV: Cold, forested inland, seaside exterior

**GEAR:** GV77 Cavalot (all I need) w/ EMG shield, rapier, Metsa gun (need to thank Mendes when we're victorious).

* Explosive charges stored in GV77.
* ACR rifles (red dot default, thermal in case of smoke, and ACOG in case of EMP. Siegfried & Priestess thought of everything), Z-45 pistol sidearm.
* Tactical vests (lighter material, better mobility).
* Flashes, frags, pulse grenades & Red Glares (anti-Knightmare combat).
* C4.
* Plenty of water.

**OBJECTIVES (WHITE):**

* Secure inland with Kyoshiro
* Prepare anti-satellite weaponry
* Destroy AA weapons and SAM sites
* Destroy comm links to prevent reinforcements
* Harbor team - cover our approach (giving orders at last... feels good)
* Exfil with Kyoshiro, take Theta Route home
* On Theta Route, activate scramblers, fog, and EMP parameters to cover escape (Priestess will help)
* COME HOME VICTORIOUS!

I'm ready.

### Page 9

*We did it.*

It's been one week since the campaign - it's been such a blur of action and circumstance that I forgot to write this down earlier. But we did it. We swiped P-CET out from under their noses. Mariah Nu (an attempted traitor, the worst of all crimes) was disposed of by Priestess. The Commanders' escape tactics were brilliant: minimal losses while retreating. We're in the presence of royalty now (it's a much, much bigger story than that, but I should keep the details a secret). And to top it all off... I was promoted. To the rank of Captain. It's only a matter of time!

I never thought a retreat would be a sign of success. But here we are.

Kyoshiro congratulated me; there was an enormous, celebratory dinner held at the castle. A lot of drinking, a lot of (off-key) singing, a lot of... interesting noises late at night. He told me that fending off three Knights of the Round with only an Armor was incredible. I'm glad he sees the best in me, really... but honestly, a lot of things could've gone better. In the heat of the moment, I had them on the ropes! But Kyoshiro had to save me at the last moment.

Unthinkable, really. An outsider saving a Gladian. Usually it's the other way around. -->

### Page 10

*[cont.]* And I'm upset about Khan... that might be dimming my view on everything, admittedly. It's one thing for a Gladian to have to be rescued... it's another thing to lose a Gladian comrade altogether. I'm holding out hope that Khan isn't dead, but for all of our power and all of our reach, nobody seems to know where he is.

I wonder what the Elder would think about all this.

Amada noticed this. He excused himself from the party, went to the kitchen to make me a smoothie. That helped a lot. Since Amada's my direct partner now, my promotion meant a promotion for him. He went from Private to... Private First Class. It doesn't seem like the biggest leap to me, but honestly, he seemed really happy about it. Some people are born to be followers... I wonder if I am, too. Time will tell, I think.

I'm glad everyone was in high spirits tonight. I'm going to keep shooting for the stars. More training. More studying. I'll bring honor to my people and to the Sunrise Empire. Semper fi - ad astra.

...and when I'm one of the Arcana, I'm going to find Khan and bring him home. I owe him that much, at least.

## Pages 11-20

### Page 11

* CQB SUN: 33 secs flat
* CQB TUES (AM): 30.3
* CQB TUES (PM): 27.9
* CQB WED (PM): 25.4
* CQB THURS (PM): 24.6

Better. But I won't be pleased until I meet squadron record. Need to remind myself to write in this thing.

Amada's good at handling the monitors. I've really started to take him under my wing. I know he's got promise, and I'd love to see him discover his untapped potential. He's taken to using a spear as his primary weapon, and I think it's brilliant! It accounts for his small size and lack of all-around strength. I'll be observing his training from here on.

The charms of Ashwood are setting in. At times, early in the morning, that autumn chill in the air... it reminds me of home. I've been a little homesick lately - my thoughts keep turning to the Elder. To the Pit. To Alanna's jokes and Khan's hut and the skewers. I miss those. Wish I could cook. : (

Siegfried's got a standing, indefinite order for everyone to stand down and consolidate - at best, we've been focusing on small missions, keeping engagements as minimal as possible. No complaints from me... there is \*plenty\* to keep myself busy with. The extra time at the range will \*always\* be worth it.

### Page 12

*PASSWORD 4 BUNKER TERMINAL: G80NVF0XTR0T (0's, not O's).*

One thing I forgot to mention that's got a few of my comrades on edge: during the ARK Fleet, two of our prisoners escaped. Some boy that managed to sneak his way in... and managed to sneak a jury bomb into his cell. Crafty. There might be more than meets the eye with this one (possibly from a spy agency; Siegfried doesn't think he's a Vincent). If I find him, I'll take care of him, no questions asked.

The other... was Candy Clairet. One of the Vincents. I think the blue-haired boy helped her escape. I haven't gotten a good look at her myself, but she looks frail. Like she could shatter at any moment if you press hard enough. I'm surprised she had the power and the gall to escape us.

Maybe there's a lesson there... that strength and weakness can be equally deceptive.

Can't help but wonder what the Elder would say to that. Ad astra.

I'm not worried about Clairet spilling any secrets. I think Siegfried used his Power on her. As for the boy...

### Page 13

Commander Trixie is a very friendly person. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when she went out of her way to talk to me... but not only that, she had an assignment for me.

Bodyguard mission, which is \*great\*. Perfect fit. A lot of Gladian missionaries become bodyguards. I have a deep respect for the trade - bodyguards work hard and make honest livings.

I escorted Trixie into Central City... the slums, to be precise. I think Trixie called it the "Stampton District". She wanted to meet with an older man. This one didn't try to flirt with us, luckily... we were \*frequently\* propositioned on our way to the meeting ('catcalling', I think Trixie called it?). Luckily, I was armed to the teeth, and Trixie paid no mind to the comments. Her confidence is second-to-none.

The Stampton District... sucks. It's worse than Trixie implied. Homeless people everywhere, fights in the middle of the street, dealers out in plain sight, buildings on the verge of collapse. Why haven't GUN or the Vincent Five tended to this?? The urge to protect her from this was \*strong\*... as was the desire to take a damn bulldozer to the place. -->

### Page 14

*[cont.]* The deal between Trixie and her client went smoothly, and I made sure it was kept as secret as possible. Trixie treated me to dinner that night, which I definitely didn't expect but definitely didn't complain about. A really nice, really fancy place. I must have looked really out of place next to her.

She had a large coffee with steamed milk (awful lot of caffeine this late at night) with some fries and fish tacos. Oatmeal with apples, bananas, and raisins for me, with some soup on the side.

Trixie's an amazing talker. It feels like she has a conversation starter for \*everything\*. She gushed about how healthy my diet was, which led into a conversation about breakfast, which led to a conversation about fighting. She has no filter, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing. She'll talk about cute animals and school drama one minute and then Napoleonic tactics and military history the next. Siegfried's influence is clear, but I think it goes beyond that. She's shockingly, naturally smart. I felt like she had to stoop down to my level just so I could keep up.

I learned about her history while talking to her. I couldn't believe she used to be homeless! I couldn't help but wonder what Trixie \*really\* felt like, walking through the slums earlier... surely she must have saw herself in some of these people. But she didn't whine about it, draw attention to it, or pity herself in the slightest.

Nothing seems to hamper her mood. Maybe strength really is deceptive. As we left, she saw a chocolate chip cookie that "looked too good to pass up". She split it with me. Are we... friends?

### Page 15

I think I've finally got a good schedule ironed out.

Spread these out, leave room for orders, classes, and deployments. The more I focus on ironing out my PT, the happier I'll be with my results. Ad astra. Aim 4 the top!

Also, new development. Kyoshiro led me into the Arcana meeting chambers today. I didn't expect it - such a place is only reserved for the Arcana and \*very\* select individuals! Prevents leaking. He just wanted me to grab a crate with him, but I felt honored nonetheless. There's a wall there that looks more like a conspiracy board, with pictures of high-profile targets the Empire feels needs to be observed / taken care of. Viro is, of course, always on there.

But Kyoshiro pointed out a new face. Callista Paige. And then he told me something very interesting.

She was the one that defeated Khan.

I carried the damn crate out of there myself. I think I'm going to find this 'Callista Paige'.

### Page 16

This goes without saying, but fighting a war takes resources, takes money. The Arcana are resourceful, and some of our commanders (Lady Kaguya, Sir Shiro) are sitting on quite a bit of burnable wealth. But our pockets aren't bottomless, no matter how resourceful we are. That said: we come across a lot of interesting people. And some of those people will pay handsomely for a job well-done.

Siegfried's orders were met with more unanimous praise: we do these missions, we get the resources we need to plan ahead for the next big thing. Mercenary ops? It's been a while.

**ASSIGNED OPS:**

* **OP1**: Destroy GUN monorail at Camp Keltner (follow outlined sabotage plans)^
* **OP2**: Retrieve NAV computer & Data Key for the Yamato Alliance
* **OP3**: Assassinate Shelton Nowinski and Baron Bayer Wilibard^^
* **OP4**: "Assist" couriers at Fort Yukon with the transfer of 600+kg of gold^^^

^ Help Kai lure Corporal Kevin Hall to Depot Romeo. Siegfried will use his Power on Hall - Hall's our fall guy (Hall Guy, said Sir Warren). Blame for the monorail's destruction will be shifted unto him.

^^ Wilibard is an avid hunter. I suggested stealing and fiddling with 1 of his hunting rifles, make the barrel explode. Kaguya and Shiro (handling Shelton's assassination) were on board with this plan - felt proud of myself for that one! Need to trust in Trixie's acting so she can get the rifle for us.

^^^ Need to follow orders 2 the letter here. Could be a huge boon for the Empire. Shamna and Shalio's plan: arrange for the couriers to deliver the gold to the Coleridge Building. We spring a surprise ambush on them once they've got the gold secure and steal the gold for ourselves. Like a scene from a film.

### Page 17

Semper fi! The ops went exceptionally well. We bartered the gold in exchange for a \*lot\* of cash and resources. Wilibard's rifle blew up in his face (literally), and his death was thought of as an accident. Siegfried's been asking me to accompany him a lot, as a bodyguard. This is good news! I think it means I'm gaining his trust. (I wonder if this is happening because of Trixie... perhaps I should thank her.) We have a lot of interesting talks... he likes to muse, asks questions a lot. I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds.

Just spending time with him is also... nice.

I've seen a lot of interesting places lately. The Empire's reach is subtle, but vast all the same. I escorted him to an alpine village, a GUN station in the Territories (we were disguised; Siegfried must have used his Power here), some rustic city on the outskirts of Vallia, an observatory of some kind, and some mining grounds, with mining rigs as far as the eye could see (and possibly beyond). I think this is where the Empire gets its' Sakuradite?

Siegfried asked me an interesting question back home from Vallia; he asks me a lot of interesting questions, but this is one I've been mulling over. Vallia's in the middle of a violent revolution. We've been staying out of it - for good reason, I think. It's not relevant to us. But he asked me this: if we were caught in the middle of something like that, who would I side with? The terrorist people with good intentions, or their orderly but oppressive rulers? -->

### Page 18

*[cont.]* I had to think about this. For me to actually be fighting in a revolution, I would need to be getting something \*big\* out of it. If there was someone I wanted to protect. If honor was on the line.

I turned my thoughts to Gladius. Elder Genbu and Alanna... they've always opposed each other as much as they harmonize together. They get along most of the time, but their philosophies differ. Considerably. A lot of my Gladian comrades suspected something would burst between the two one day. I thought about who I would side with: Genbu, who's strong, contemplative, and stuck in his ways... or Alanna, fierce, forward-thinking, and reckless.

I was quiet on the train home for at least two minutes. I told Siegfried that I'd side with the Order. The world deserves structure, discipline. Rebellion can lead to chaos without a firm hand to guide it in the right direction.

Siegfried mulled over this for a while before complimenting me on my honesty. When I asked him what he would do, he gave me a very blunt answer: he likes power, and he likes being on the winning side.

I can't help but agree with him. Victory over all. Semper fi.

### Page 19

\*Very\* interesting day. Fun, dare I say? I followed Siegfried to some kind of noble court. Everyone there smelt like greed and vanity. This wasn't the "fun part" - they were rude. It's clear they only want to line their own pockets; they're following Siegfried for the sake of power, and only that. Disgraceful. But Siegfried has his uses for them - he used his Power to sucker money out of them, and I got to help him beat the hell of a portly nobleman. That was satisfying.

After that, I joined him to attend a meeting at Gamma-Psi-Delta, a large rec center owned by Rio. Rio herself... and her reach and influence has never been clearer than it was tonight. She'd gathered a wide variety of people, all of whom were enemies of the Vincent Five. The "Devil's Union".

I'd never seen so many colorful types gathered in a single room before! There was a Chao piloting a Walker Armor, some edgy man wielding a lightsaber, the "gr8" Mindfang herself, four hedgehogs (one of whom was a passionate gamer), strange Chaos monsters (I, Trixie, and Camilla were ordered to execute them after they adopted a highway and renamed it "BBBBBBBBBBBBBB" [sic]), and the Disciples. Most of them, anyway. I think they were down a few.

Rio herself was behind a webcam the entire time. Honestly? Good. I don't trust her... and neither do my comrades. I'm not sure what Siegfried's planning to do with her. I like that he's erring on the side of caution. -->

### Page 20

*[cont.]* We didn't really get much of anything done, but... there was something fun about it all. We picked up trash and recyclable goods on a freeway road (the girl that suggested it... I don't think she'd make for a very good villain), we robbed a convenience store with Asher's Kingdom in search of a bioweapon... which, now that I think about it, probably doesn't exist. It was just an excuse for them to rob the place blind.

And I think we may have brought forth the apocalypse after unleashing a fiery demon. I think. That part's a little hazy to me. Come to think of it, I don't remember how it \*ended\* at all.

Not the most fruitful day... but I had a lot of fun. It was nice knowing there's a lot of like-minded people out there, who share in our goals and passions. Siegfried left to go play a game of chess, and Trixie treated me to dinner again. Some Italian joint in Central City. She's really good with urban exploration - knows a lot of places and landmarks off the top of her head, and she hasn't even been in Central for all that long.

Red pepper fettucine alfredo for me (they offered béchamel sauce - a plus, much healthier than the excess cream & butter), and pizza for Trixie. She likes to doctor her pizza, adding shredded cheese, garlic, red & black pepper. A salad split between us both. Damn good, I have to admit.

We talked about a lot of stuff. I think I can safely say we're friends now.

## Pages 21-30

### Page 21

The boy that escaped capture was Vital.

Last night was tense. Tensest it's been in a very long time. Everyone was worried about Vital ruining everything we'd worked so hard to achieve. The Arcana \*do\* have some contingency plans in place in case something like this ever happened... but the fact that it could have happened isn't a good one.

Siegfried was angry. I'd never seen him give into his anger like that. He watched the broadcast with this dark scowl on his face. He was probably angry at our failure to capture/kill him... and possibly at himself. I don't think he had the chance to use his Power on Vital like he did on Candy Clairet.

Not that I blame Siegfried for that. He had his hands tied with the Ark Fleet. I blame myself, really. I knew I should've gone looking for him, helped Kai with his searches. Never good when an HVI's allowed to run free like this. Gonna hit the courses even harder in the next few weeks.

Won't let this happen again.

### Page 22

Enormous development. We've got our hands on Vital's treasure.

Trixie took advantage of an officer under Siegfried's latent control and used him to retrieve a hard drive loaded to the \*brim\* with valuable intel. A stroke of genius. Everyone looks a lot more relieved, and Siegfried in particular looks triumphant. Trixie's always walking on sunshine, but she looks especially proud of herself tonight.

This has been amazing for morale. What could've been a nightmare turned into good fortune. That's the power of providence, I think. I did some training with Kyoshiro tonight - mostly bows, swords, guns. He told me that there's a lesson to be learned from all this - prepare for the worst, but aspire for the best all the same.

Aim for the top!!

Mission tomorrow night at "Bishop Island". I should get some sleep. Semper fi.

### Page 23

*[A small clipping can be seen on the journal; a map of Bishop Island, and tactical instructions scribbled in.]*

There's genius in subtlety. Siegfried's plan to sneak inside a crate and let a crane lift us into the harbor was genius - it bypassed cameras and security entirely, and it put us right in the thick of where we needed to be. I would never have thought of that. I'll need to sharpen my mind if I want to join the Arcana.

Amada's improving. His confidence and battle intuition need some work... as do his distraction tactics. I'm stunned that "ice cream" worked as well as it did. He should be lucky the patrol girl was an idiot. Still, his prowess grows with every day. I would have killed myself opening those vents (bare-handed) without his plan to use his spear to pry it open.

Recovered an ACS and escaped - I think the Bishop personnel were none the wiser. Pirates attacked the shoreline opposite of where we came in - we used the chaos, our disguises, and some Zodiacs to escape. Mastercraft.

No idea who these 'Homeland' people are. Obviously have something to do with the Prophets, but there's something... strange about Bishop Island I can't put my finger on. Amada seems to feel the same. Says it was "creepy".

### Page 24

*[Distinctly different handwriting this time, along with a drawing of Trixie making the ;P expression and a peace sign with her fingers. Green ink instead of red. It's pretty clear this isn't Miriam's handwriting.]*

*"Guess who left their journal on their bed! ...YOU DID! Hahahaha! <3*

*You're a good writer, Miriam. You should write a book someday! Maybe not an autobiography, tho - lot of incriminating stuff here. Not that I'd mind, of course. :P*

*I won't take up too much space, but remember! Thursday is GIRLS' NIGHT!! Be there or be a parallelogram! XD"*

...Huh. Looks like Trixie saw my journal earlier. Must've forgotten to put it in my nightstand.

But yes - Girls' Night. Trixie was insistent on this, said she'd be inviting Priestess as well. I can't help but wonder what it's going to entail... Amada thinks it's probably just a fun night on the town. I'm looking forward to it!

In the meantime: Kyoshiro wants me to evaluate new recruits with him. He's good at sorting out the wheat from the chaff. I'll probably have them run the course. Now I'll finally get to see what it felt like, with Kyoshiro watching me from up high, watching me run the course over and over again. I can't help but wonder what it's like.

(On a more personal note... Shalio. One of the Zilkhstani we brought back thanks to P-CET. It's hard to see his eyes behind that visor... but I get the feeling he's been eyeing me a lot. Watching me. Don't know why.)

### Page 25

Evaluated recruits today. Standing at the observatory, next to Kyoshiro, watching the new blood... I have to admit, it was really interesting. I've practically memorized the regulation O-Course inside and out... looking at it from a new angle (literally) is fascinating. Seeing them stumble and get a feel for the targets and the pacing... I wonder if I looked like that at first. If these are the same things Kyoshiro thought when he took me in.

"Lots of keepers," Kyoshiro said. He isn't wrong. A lot of former soldiers, mercenaries... even saw a former EUCON agent and a couple of Arclight and Rimlight deserters. Lots of promise, lots of experience.

It's only a matter of time. Semper fi! Aim for the top!

### Page 26

Girls' Night was yesterday. One of the most interesting nights thus far.

Amada was dragged along. Despite distinctly being a boy, Trixie insisted on bringing him along for being "cute". No complaints from me - I've come to really like his company. Camilla was an unexpected surprise. She's very warm and down-to-earth. I've barely seen or talked with her at Bismarck - she's always busy with something or other. But she was kind, polite, surprisingly relatable, and... a true believer. She has an agenda, and she's going to see it through.

One of the things that Trixie uncovered from the Vital drive was a large list of satellite dishes scattered across Central and Celona City. Inside of them are these audio drives... left behind by an Enclave soldier: Nolan Terris, aka Near. From what I can tell, he was an agent given the assignment to infiltrate the Prophets, and he left these audio logs behind as a way of communicating with his handlers. They must not have ever picked them up... which doesn't surprise me. Kyoshiro told me about the Enclave's fall after their war with the Prophets.

It's entirely possible Nolan's dead. I hope not. I think it'd make his dog very upset. Speaking of which... -->

### Page 27

*[cont.]* Koromaru. We have a dog now. He'd been tracking us across the city from the moment we played the first recording... he was hostile at first, growling and glaring at us. He must have clambered up the fire escape we used to get on top of the karaoke joint. The moment he heard Nolan's voice... he calmed down.

Camilla found an electromagnetic tracker of sorts on his collar... when Dr. Mendes checked it herself, she confirmed that it was a tracker set to activate the moment an audio log was played. Near must have installed it as a countermeasure - Koromaru would've either retrieved the logs himself, or found an Enclave soldier that could.

He's a sweetheart. Amada likes him a lot. We gave him a bath, and he didn't even wait for me to grab the towel before he started shaking his fur everywhere. We were laughing a lot. Koromaru's well-trained, too - given that he's a military mutt, it'll be easy to give him commands. Reminds me a lot of a Gladian hunting dog. He's got the white fur and everything - albeit, he's got a much softer face and a smaller frame.

Girls' Night was a lot of fun, and Siegfried's been very, very pleased with the amount of intel we've been receiving. I can't wait to do this again. There's a story to piece together here... and it's nice to have friends.

*[A drawing of Miriam, Amada, Trixie, Camille, and Koromaru's faces. Koromaru barks. They look happy.]*

### Page 28

I had a lot of off time today. I'm not sure what provoked me, but I found myself looking up the Sunrise Empire, Ark Fleet, and Sunrise personnel online. Luckily, the only details that seem to exist about the Sunrise Empire are reports about Siegfried's broadcast, the Ark Fleet battle as a whole, and conspiracy theories about who Sunrise \*might\* be. Nothing about who we actually are. Good. The world doesn't need to know just yet.

I saw the video of Callista Paige. Fighting a lot of my comrades with that magical power of hers (field reports say it's a Code... so she had one, just like Khan). Glimpses of the shaky footage of her fighting Khan. Everything about it rubbed me the wrong way. I wanna ask permission to track her down personally. My people deserve better than this.

I spent a lot of time with Sir Warren (Judgment) today, which I definitely didn't expect. I've never really understood what he... does. But after today, I realized he's a specialist. He does a little bit of this, a little bit of that... a jack of all trades. Now I understand his prominence. Before today, he seemed like a harmless pun-slinger.

We worked on a lot of things. Cleaning weapons, testing satellite uplinks, ordering supplies of food and drink... I even watched him fix some faulty wiring and repair a low-voltage feeder box. Handed him tools every now and then.

Siegfried's acquired a lot of talent. -->

### Page 29

*[cont.]* And a lot of experience, too. Warren told me a lot about his life story, and it's a fascinating one. He's far from an old man (around Kyoshiro's age, maybe a little younger), but he's done all kinds of work before finally settling down with the Empire. Courier, bodyguard, engineer, butcher. Assassin. Sold homemade batteries, repaired things, and auctioned a lot of things from his youth to keep him afloat on the side. An absolutely worldly man.

His stories about being a courier were probably the most interesting ones. During a nice, peaceful drive from Bismarck to Ashwood, he pulled up his turtleneck by the stomach and showed me a long line of scars across his chest. Told me that he got it from delivering a bomb without his knowing, and it prematurely detonated.

I was just stunned that he'd survived! He just laughed and told me that's why he got out of that job. Too many shady clients, too many "hot items" they needed 'someone else' to get rid of.

Warren taught me something today, possibly without him even realizing it. Talent and strength can be found in a lot of areas. All kinds of people under the sun can be found at Sunrise... tacticians, spies, students, translators... and chameleons, like Warren. We're more than just soldiers. We're a small society of our own.

You don't find that kind of diversity back home.

I thought about that a lot before going to sleep.

### Page 30

*[Distinctly different handwriting once again... elegant, composed, almost cursive-like. A bluish pen.]*

*Willows whiten, aspens quiver, little breezes dusk and shiver*

*Through the wave that runs forever*

*By the island in the river, flowing down to Camelot.*

*Four gray walls and four gray towers, overlook a space of flowers*

*And the silent isle imbowers, the Lady of Shalott.*

*[...]*

*Seek an audience with me when you can, Miriam. We have much to discuss.*

**Siegfried**

## Pages 31-40

### Page 31

*[In enormous, bold text:]*

I DID IT.

I DID IT!!

I AM THE TOWER OF THE EMPIRE!

SEMPER FI!!!

*[A drawing of Miriam, holding a sword up in the air.]*

IT'S ALL UPHILL FROM HERE

*[In different text, with an orange pen no doubt from Amada:]* Go Miriam!!! :D

### Page 32

*[The next couple of pages appear to be battle & tactical information that Miriam now has to keep track of, thanks to her ascension in the ranks of the Empire.]*

**UNIVERSAL SQUAD FORMATIONS:**

ALPHA (2 scouts, 1 medic, 1 sniper, 1 shocktrooper / Knightmare pilot)

BETA (1 scout, 1 medic, 1 sniper [or heavy wpns], 1 grenadier, 1 shocktrooper/pilot)

DELTA (2 scouts, 1 medic, 1 marksman, 1 sniper)

EPSILON (1 scout, 1 medic, 1 shocktrooper/pilot, 1 heavy weapons, 1 sniper)

GAMMA (1 medic, 2 shocktrooper/pilots, 1 heavy weapons, 1 grenadier)

*[...]*

ALPHA: Emphasis on mobility. Good 4 skirmishes.

BETA: Emphasis on terrain control. Good for escorts and defense.

DELTA: Emphasis on stealth. The marksman can b traded out for 2 snipers.

EPSILON: Emphasis on balance and flexibility. (My personal choice)

GAMMA: Emphasis on destruction and overwhelming strength.

*[...]*

**UNIQUE SQUAD FORMATIONS**: OMEGA (Knightmare and Armor-centric squads), THETA (specialist squads, like hacker crews, operatives, or medic squads), LAMBDA (squads that focus and specialize in strange/foreign gear and equipment). Ask Hangman and Hermit 4 more definitive details.

### Page 33

**RELEVANT SUNRISE LOCATIONS**:

Bismarck (HQ, code is Beta-7)

Kingsley (Storage, Kappa-7)

Dojo (Backup meeting chamber, Delta-7)

Gamma-Psi-Delta (Gathering halls, G-Psi-7)

Maple Mountain (Campgrounds, Mount-7)

*[...]*

Corrigan Relay Station (Comm stations, CR-4)

Red Rock Video (Central City watchpost, Red-Rho-6)

Monte Carlo Suites (Celona City watchpost, Sigma-6)

Jakobstown (Ramona Valley watchpost, Jay-Theta-6)

Salford Harbor (Watchpost, Sig-Nav-6)

Red Bank Armory (Supply depot, Rho-Beta-4)

Taft City Armory (Supply depot, Theta-Alpha-4)

*[...]*

Locations for Gaia and the EU are currently irrelevant for the Valentia campaign. Empress and Emperor maintain posts in Britannia, Priestess in Altria, Sun & Moon in Zilkhstan.

Siegfried has been hinting to an interest in Rosia... as have Sun & Moon. They've been talking about it quite a lot.

I have a feeling we'll be doing business there soon.

### Page 34

**ALPHA-1 (FIRST SQUAD) MEMBERS**:

* Hong Gu
* Miguel Herrera
* Anna Holt
* Adrian Lehder
* Varod Tang

**BETA-2 (SECOND SQUAD) MEMBERS**:

* Nguyen Van Nguu (...this is his name, yes)
* Frederik Szymanowski
* Connie Varrett
* Amanda Davies
* Marco Silva

**DELTA-3 (THIRD SQUAD MEMBERS)**:

* Ahmad Duzavas
* Ingram Brandt
* Cyril O'Reilly
* Richter Silva
* Joanna Taktarov

**EPSILON-4 (FOURTH SQUAD) MEMBERS**:

* Erica Fontaine
* Kaleb James
* Vladimir Kazatov
* Delaney Wolff
* Gwen Albright

**GAMMA-5 (FIFTH SQUAD) MEMBERS**:

* Harley Cordell
* Raymond Vician
* Brittany Kertesz
* Ellen Santiago
* Hadir Duzavas

I get recruitment markers for my own squad (Zero Squad) tomorrow! Very exciting! I'll have to comb through Selection again and pick out some promising prospects. Semper fi! Aim 4 the top!!

### Page 35

Now that I have a moment to breathe... I feel like I should write about the circumstances surrounding my rise in the ranks. I have... conflicting feelings about it all.

While hunting for more of Nolan's audio logs, Amada and I happened across Callista Paige. By complete and total surprise. All I could think about at that moment was giving Callista Paige her just desserts. She's exactly as conceited as I thought she'd be. She had the audacity to tell me that she was doing the right thing, that we were the "bad guys"... and yet she wasn't even sure \*what\* she followed, if it was anything at all. I could tell by the look in her eyes. All she cares about is being a hero. Her loyalties lie with whoever can make her feel that way.

It's childish. She was down an arm, so I suppose it wasn't a fair fight... but that Code of hers is dangerous. I feel like she'd have the advantage in a one-to-one duel. Need to figure out a way to get around that.

I fully expected her to be an unlikable brat. What I didn't expect was her assistance.

### Page 36

It was a bad decision on my part to leave Amada alone on the rooftop. Talon mercenaries took him by surprise and dragged him into the shipyards... Koromaru was able to avoid them, and guided us towards Amada, following his scent. For the second time that day... all I felt was wrath. All I wanted was revenge. I was going to into the shipyards and kill each and every one of them on my own.

But Callista Paige was strangely... insistent upon helping me. I feel like she wanted to save face, fool me into thinking she was actually selfless... or, possibly, it was a plan to gain my trust. Neither of those ploys will work on me. I suppose she was helpful. As much as it pains me to say it, her battle instincts are decent. She's resourceful, damaging infrastructure and exploiting weakness and using her power to account for her crippled arm.

I don't like that I see parts of myself in her. It's troublesome.

*[A sketch of Callie, standing on top of a shipping container. "Enemy" is written on the container side.]*

### Page 37

Right when things were about to take a turn for the dire, both Kai and a Vincent Five squadron came to assist. Didn't expect that. Callista must have radioed for backup at some point. The biggest surprise came at the very end... when I had to rescue Amada. He was trapped in a cage suspended in the air, a crane holding him far away from us. There was no way in hell I could jump for him, and scaling the crane itself was out of the question.

But Callista told me to jump. And then I realized what she was going to do.

I still wasn't sure why she was helping me. I don't know why I trusted her. But all adventures begin with a leap of faith.

I jumped.

Callista's shockwave pushed me through the air. I was skybound, like a bird. Like a phoenix. I could feel the wind roaring around me. I knew that this was my only shot. If I miss the cage, don't destroy the padlock, then I fall chest-first into the ocean and Amada risks capture by the Vincent Five. FAILURE: UNTHINKABLE.

But with my speed and Callista's power... clearing the distance was a guaranteed. Amada looked exhausted, but relieved to be safe again. I don't know why Callista let me go. The Vincent Five had the advantage in numbers and equipment. I don't know why she brushed us off as "civilians" that got caught up in Talon's mess. She didn't even bother to follow us afterwards! Why?? Wouldn't that have been the smart thing to do?

### Page 38

Even now, after all my success, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about that evening. Not just because the events that transpired earned me the rank of Tower... but because I \*still\* can't wrap my head around Callista's actions.

It's possible she's trying to lure me into a false sense of trust and security. It's possible she did that to look good in front of her Vincent comrades. It's possible she wanted revenge of some kind against Talon. It's possible she wanted to prove that she really is the hero she claims to be. It's possible it's all of the above.

And it's possible that she has a soft spot for children.

...Just like me.

None of it matters. I'm not going to let her get inside my head. Callista (and the Vincent Five) aren't going to be weak forever. Callista's arm will heal. Her power will get stronger. And she'll have time to prepare. They'll be ready for us.

Well, so will I. When the time comes... I'll be ready. Semper fidelis.

### Page 39

...Trixie gave me a gift. To congratulate me and celebrate my rise in rank.

A stuffed animal. A bunny, to be precise.

I've never had one before.

[...]

It's cute. Soft. So soft that I think... "Velvet" feels like a fitting name.

*[The rest of the page is taken up by a drawing of the bunny, with more detail than the usual small doodles. A note and an arrow can be seen next to the ears, reading: "very floppy."]*

Not much else to report this time around. It just made me feel... kind of happy.

Also...

No, no, I think... it'd be rude of me to kiss and tell. Semper fi.

### Page 40

...I killed a Gladian deserter today. Or... rather, I saw him die.

His words made me think. My life could have been a living hell... if things were just a little different. I find myself flipping back to older entries, reading through those instead. Back to Gladius. Home.

"Tactics aren't a cornerstone." "Death is only a concern when it comes for you." "An outsider saving a Gladian: unthinkable." "You don't find that kind of diversity back home."

Maybe it's something in the air (it \*is\* getting colder)... but statements like these are starting to concern me. I've been away for home for a while now, and things are... so much different out here. I've been paying more and more attention to other factions, how they're adapting to the changing world. The Vincent Five: ordinary people with guns, blades, and lots of friends. And they're always a step ahead of (most of) their enemies. Britannia: constantly investing in new research. GUN: soldiers from all over the world, a *lot* more numbers than my people originally thought. And the Sunrise Empire... the Sunrise Empire is ever-changing, ever-evolving. Always working to stay a step ahead.

And we're getting left behind in the dust. Shalio (note: write abt him later) was very blunt about it. He thinks that Gladians are a bunch of shut-ins that scorn outsiders and horde resources. Focused on getting stronger and stronger for a lost cause. I should've been angry at him for saying something so bold.

But then I realized something. If Amada was a Gladian, and fought Talon on his own and lost... it would have been expected for him to lend them his strength. As punishment for failure. The only other "honorable" thing to do... is die.

I think I need to go home.

## Pages 41-50

### Page 41

I went home.

...I don't know what I was looking for when I went home. But I found myself... alone.

A \*lot\* happened, but... right now, I don't have the strength to say anything about it. I'm not sure I could find the words to really parse how I feel.

I don't know if I'll ever come back.

But one thing's for certain.

I will \*never turn back\*.

Semper fi.

## Terminology

Miriam's Journal uses a lot of military-influenced slang, courtesy of Sunrise's conditioning.

* **CQB** - Close Quarters Battle (referring to the course that Miriam ran in Episode 23).
* **Ad astra** - "To the stars" in Latin. Most likely the Gladian country motto.
* **Semper fi** - "Always faithful." The Sunrise Empire motto.
* **PT** - Physical Training.
* **O-Course** - Obstacle Course.
* **Circuits** - 20 or 40-minute military workouts, often a medley of exercises chained together to form one program.
* **Brevity Codes** - Brevity codes are used in radio, maritime, aviation and military communications. Brevity codes are designed to convey complex information with only a few words, codes, or phrases.
* **GT** - Greenland Territories.
* **ROE** - Rules of Engagement.
* **EX Points** - Extraction Points / Exfil Points.
* **ENV** - Environment.
* **EMG** -  Electromagnetic.
* **AA Weapons** - Anti-Air Weapons.
* **SAM Sites** - Surface-to-Air Missile Sites.
* **P-CET** - Project Cetra.
* **HVI** - High Value Individual.
* **ACS** - Modules of information and intel. No real-world equivalent.
* **NJP** - Non-Judicial Punishment.