Not getting Scapegoated by Military Ego's
Absurd radio chatter
JTF calls in asking if the coastguard requires assistance, and they assume we have a "crew car" local amongst areas someone must have had designated on a hunch the coastguard to be familiar with.
Trying to understand the meaning, or intention behind this message is quite impossible without context, thus Mallard ask for clearance.
The JTF indicates now is not a good moment to speak, and since the coastguard does not require any assistance at the time, Violet gets back to her own business.
After a while, the JTF snaps on the radio about having preferred assistance, while not having asked for any, nor given any location to assist at.
So the coastguard responds at once offering assistance, after receiving the initial request for assistance.
However, the JTF refuses to cooperate and cuts off contact.
Since they called radio out, the admiral does not respond but waits till she sees them in person to ask what in the world is going on with their communication equipment and standards.
Serving the community
Scarlet radios in Violet and they are about to embark on a charting mission on foreign waters.
Impersonating homeland securtity
Someone identifying as homeland security calls in, for some reason in morse code like Scarlett used since the loss of her voice.
The admiral responds with instructions on how to reach the coastguard.
It is a bit strange with no government left, and the JTF being run by their remnants and offspring, there would be such a thing as homeland security or a central government.
Desolate World Lore wrote: ↑
With the new variation of the virus spreading around the country and world like wildfire, the US government did the unthinkable. They disappeared.
Many people were born into the apocalypse, having a warped imagination of what the world before was. Only few were around before the virus, only few witnessed the disappearance of the US government. These people were the most shocked when the remnants and descendants of what was the US government arose from their underground shelters to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
However the JTF is an ally and the coastguard is always prepared to help, - as long as it is asked and the location is stated, of course - they head over post haste.
When arriving in Scarville, they see no "homeland security", and only JTF personnel they have seen before.
Why they would need to posture or deceive?
Instead, it is some sort of ambush, where they try to make Mallard the scapegoat for the JTF's own mishaps or failures to communicate.
They try to play blame and sympathy games, to distract from never actually having called for assistance.
The JTF claimed they went out of their way to disclose they had a unit nearby. If they are talking about yesterday, when they assisted, they are wrong, Violet came to Scarville that day. If they are talking about today, they are also mistaken, no such message was broadcast.
Next they claim like they were forced to use morse code for security.
Which is absurd, as morse code is not a secret. Neither did the coastguard request to use it. And the message they sent was not sensitive at all or revealed any locations.
Why they thought they needed morse code, while they were just communicating vocally prior to that day, is anyone's guess.
Violet attemps to set the record straight.
They are not having it at all.
Any attempt to address the reality of the situation is met with hostility and impatience.
As they lose their patience, being unable to twist reality to their narrative they lose it and start uttering profanities.
Like the coastguard did not approach the JTF for mutually beneficial cooperation, but like the coastguard was a subservient division of the JTF.
When the cooperation was first discussed, Violet had clearly laid out they are a search, rescue, and salvage operation. It also seems like the JTF failed to disseminate that information internally and thinks of the Free Coastguard Initiative as some sort of US Navy under the control of homeland security.
Which they are impersonating to gain authority over the previously equal cooperation.
Violet knows all too well about military politics and is not about to be silenced and scapegoated, while not being permitted to refute false claims.
Instead, she walks out, commenting on the JTF's language.
The coastguard's mandate is to rescue anyone who is not a safety risk, regardless if they would do the same for us.
Even though international maritime law states any salvager is entitled to 33% of the value of the ship and its cargo, the coastguard has always assisted without requiring anything in return.
In the JTF absence, the coastguard has even done land assistance to cover for them.
The coastguard is not a combat force, they are trained for rescue.
They seem to forget all about that and focus on the time Violet called in for assistance.
Violet has only done so after being informed that Scarville citizens are under the JTF protection. It seems their mandate is a bit more fluid depending on what they can receive in return.
Lieutenant Radcliffe does not respond on the radio for a long time, the admiral assumes she is being coerced by the JTF, before being allowed to respond.