2017-08-21: The Cost of Failure
- Cutscene: The Cost of Failure
- Cast: Jacqueline Barber
- Where: The Carakin
- Date: 08-21-2017
- Summary: After the Caravan Kinship's failed attempted at escaping the battle field, Jacqueline drives quietly, her mind plagued with thoughts of all that had occurred... This cutscene takes place after 2017-08-20: World of Ruin.
For a while, the world had become a roaring cacophony of violence. ARMs and artillery fire, the clashing of blades and the flashing of sorcery. Now, however, they had left all of that behind. As night fell and they drove on, the sounds of battle eventually disappeared into the darkness.
And thus, Jacqueline was left with only the steady hum of the Carakin's motor and the sound of its wheels on the ground below to distract her from the thoughts that plagued her mind.
They had been forcing their way through the battle front. It looked as if they would be able to make it out safely...and then, after they managed to force their way out of the Aveh landship that had blocked their path, they emerged to find themselves facing down a squad of Kislevi soldiers, ARMs drawn and pointed in their direction.
They had managed to escape the situation with their lives...but not without losses.
The Caravan Kinship was fractured. Separated.
The whole time, Jacqueline could not escape the feeling that she was responsible for this. It was her decisions that had lead them here. It was as she had said to Ethius before, in the Guardian Temple:
'This is a decision I'm making of my own free will.'
And now she and those she cared about were facing the consequences of that decision.
She was supposed to be their leader. Had she made a mistake in thinking that she could lead them? She had been...helpless. It was only because of everyone else's actions that she and the few who were with her now were able to make it to the Carakin and escape.
If she couldn't protect those closest to her, how was she supposed to protect Filgaia? Perhaps the Guardians were right to doubt them. The Medium in her bags felt heavier than it had when she first claimed it.
Grudiev...the Guardian of Earth...
A true leader should be as a strong pillar, supporting those under her care. A true leader should as firm as stone, but as nurturing as the soil.
But right now...she didn't feel like she could be any of those things. She just felt...lost.
Unsure of herself.
Unsure of her direction.
They all deserved better. If someone else had been in charge, would it have come to this?
She didn't know. And she was afraid of the answer.
The only thing she could do for now was to keep driving the remaining members of the Caravan Kinship safely westward...and she would continue to do so into the night and the morning beyond, at least until someone came by to wrest her from the wheel.
When sleep finally came for her, it would not come easily or pleasantly.