"You know, Diary...I do this a lot, huh?...go silent for weeks, even months at a time...I need to stop doing this.."
She exhales softly and some shuffling can be heard in the background before she speaks again.
"Anyway...a whole crap load has happened since my last recording, I'm an Admiral now, for one thing..."
Rachel lets out a brief, hollow laugh.
"Never in my life did I imagine that I'd be wearing silver stars on my collar...not ever, and certainly not at this age. You know, people tell me that since I'm an Admiral I'm supposed to be chained to an office now, Hell...they tell me lots of things, But I don't think I'll ever stop acting like a Captain...I didn't enlist to fly a goddamn desk, but then again...I didn't enlist with the intent of doing half the things I've done by now...Anyway, I should stop rambling...especially to myself..."
Rachel laughs again, a bit more amused this time.
"Anyway...things with Kaido seem to have gotten weird. We got real close, I even uh...well, you know. Anyway, I haven't heard from him in months now. I guess it's to be expected though, since Gallia's influence over Kusari seems to grow stronger by the week, as our relations with them grow colder and colder..."
She sighs heavily now, and the sound of a glass being placed down can be heard.
"War...I mean like, major, terrible, brutal war, seems to be looming ever closer. The Bretonians won't hold out much longer, and we've even begun to see small Gallic incursion forces on our borders. War with Gallia will be nothing like our relatively minor "Border War" with Rheinland, of that much...I have no doubt. I know we'll fight though...The men and women-"
Her voice trails off, and she laughs coldly before continuing.
"No...so many, too many of those serving our Republic are hardly even men or women at all, they're more like boys and girls.."
Rachel sighs again, and the sound of liquid being poured into a glass can be heard.
"..But, they're trained well, and most of the Pilots and Marines have some form of combat experience...still though, doesn't make too much of a damn difference. These kids, they shouldn't have to experience what's coming, It's not right...But I'll be right there with them, they can count on that. I won't let them walk into hell alone."
Rachel lets out a weak laugh and some shuffling around can be heard.
"Right..I'm gonna end this recording now, and finish this bottle before I start to not make sense, I'm out."
A brief click can be heard as the recording is stopped.
![[Image: CHI4y9i.png]](https://i.imgur.com/CHI4y9i.png)