Full Metal Panic Fan Fiction ❯ Field Training ❯ Tessa & Kana ( Chapter 4 )

Field Training

 

Chapter 4: Certification

 

By A-Z Mk II

 

Kaname was tucking the last of her things into her bag for her over-night stay at Kyoko's place. The beach trip two and a half weeks ago had been fun, but as always, there were things waiting on her back in Tokyo. Not the least of which was the school festival preparation. As a member of her school's Student Council as well as being the inchou of her class, she was obligated to help out with the planning, preparation, presentation and clean-up of the yearly festival.

“And then, there is this.” She muttered, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder and moving toward the door to her apartment. It had been more than a year since Kyoko had asked her to sleep over at her place. It's kind of weird, since she knows she can come over to my place whenever she wants. I wonder why she's so insistent on me coming to her this time? Wondered the girl.

A sudden thought hit her, and she frowned. Souske. She realized. The serious sergeant was always popping up at the most inconvenient times. She smirked as she thought about earlier that week when she had knocked her shin against the edge of her tub and gasped in pain. Before she could remember not to do that, Souske had been on his way through her balcony window, gun drawn. Kaname was sitting on the edge of the tub, rubbing her shin, when he had barged in and found her naked.

“Heh! He seemed to like the scenery.” She murmured as she closed and locked her door behind her. Kana had gotten so used to him doing crazy things like that that she hadn't bothered to do more than tell him she was fine and step into the tub. He had confirmed her status and departed, his eyes touching her naked form one final time. She still wasn't sure why she had arched her back to accent her breasts.

Smiling devilishly, she swiftly made her way out of her building and toward the train station to head on over to Kyoko's place. As she cleared the building perimeter, she caught sight of Souske falling into step with her. “Hey, Souske.” She said to him, her tone warm and friendly.

“Good afternoon, Kana.” He replied, assuming his customary place at her elbow. “You are going to spend the night at Kyoko's place, then?” he asked, noting the bag. Kana didn't bother to get upset about his tendency to know every little detail of her life. Instead, she just nodded.

“Yeah. She invited me over for the night. Probably girl talk.” Shrugged the dark-haired girl. He nodded.

“Understood.” He said. She glanced at him.

“You're not planning on camping out on her balcony, are you?” she asked him, a touch suspiciously. He had done things like that before, though not lately. “I'm not sure that Kyoko would want you to do that, and I'm not sure that I want you listening to our talk.” She warned him. Kyoko has been pretty heavy-handed in her suggestions about me and him, so I bet she wants to talk to me about that without others from school to hear it. And when she was honest with herself, she would admit that she didn't want anyone from school to hear whatever she might say if Kyoko got personal about the issue.

“I had no plans to do so.” He replied as seriously as ever. “As long as you are wearing the device I gave you, I can protect you without being physically present.” He assured her. At the mention of the charm, Kana absently touched it.

“Have I ever taken it off?” she breathed, not meaning for him to hear her; or even to speak aloud.

“You have not, and I wish to thank you for not doing so.” He said, looking at her. She felt her cheeks warm up. “It has made my mission easier, as well as reducing the number of times you hit me with your fan.” He elaborated. Kana couldn't help but snicker at that.

“It has been a while since I last went postal on you, hasn't it?” she agreed. Ever since Tessa and I got kidnapped by A21, I haven't hit him with my fan more than a half dozen times. She thought to herself, a bit puzzled by the fact. I wonder why?

The train to the station nearest Kyoko's building pulled up, and she and Souske boarded, Kana taking a standing place near the door on the side nearest the exit dock. Souske took the spot directly behind her, blocking most of the access to her from other riders. Not that she had been groped a lot before, but since Souske had entered her life, she had not worried about it. The last guy who tried to touch her got his wrist broken by Souske. Kaname had come to feel very comfortable in his presence.

As the train left the station, the inertia pushed her back against Souske, who steadied her against his chest. Slowly, she straightened back up, in no rush to break the contact. Glancing at the window, she caught sight of their reflection. Souske was - as usual - scanning the people and surroundings with a suspicious look in his dark eyes. He looks like he expects everyone to rush me any second. She thought fondly, feeling a familiar flutter in her stomach; and lower, as well.

That thought sobered her a bit. It had been getting more and more apparent that she was attracted to him in a physical way, as well as an emotional one. It was also apparent that Kyoko and Orin realized this as well, no matter how devoutly she denied it. She's going to bring it up at least a few times before tomorrow morning; I just know it! She thought grimly. She and Kyoko weren't best friends for nothing; they knew each other's methodology and means too well.

Her mental preparation of her defense to her friend's anticipated attacks were interrupted by a gentle - but firm - touch on her bare arm, guiding her back and over a bit. Blinking, she spotted a portly fan boy making his way down the isle, bags of trinkets draped over his obese and sweaty form. He had been bumping into as many women as he could as he waddled down the narrow isle, and had Souske not tucked Kana firmly against him, he would have rubbed against her side. The very thought made her feel a little sick.

Rather than dwell on what might have been, she released her grip on her hand-strap and leaned back into Souske, who turned a bit to eliminate any chance of the greasy loser touching her by blocking her body with his.

Grunting and panting, the slob moved past her, her nose cautioning her that he most likely hadn't bathed in a couple of days. Wrinkling her nose, she grimaced. “Can't they hose them down at the conventions?” she muttered, reaching for her hand-strap as the loser moved farther down the train.

“Pardon?” asked Souske, still holding her bare bicep in his hand. Kaname shifted and reached for the strap with her opposite hand, leaving Souske holding her arm.

“That smelly guy.” She explained, shifting a bit so she didn't have to pull her body away from his. “He's obviously been to some convention from the crap hanging off him, but he couldn't even be bothered to bathe! Ugh!” she shuddered. “Couldn't they at least hose them off so we don't have to smell them?” she complained.

“Most likely they do not hose them off so they won't smell even worse.” Opinioned Souske. Kaname laughed.

“I guess you have a point, Souske.” She said, enjoying herself immensely. I always have fun with him. She thought happily. Seeing that they had a few more stations to go, she sighed and looked out the window again, catching their reflection there. My god. We look just like a couple! She realized. Kaname was wearing her normal summer outfit of a short skirt and thin, short top with her running shoes, her bag over her shoulder and her hair pulled up into a pony tail to keep her neck cool in the heat. Souske was in cargo shorts and a tan tee shirt and was doubtlessly packing a small arsenal. Glancing down, she found he was - as always when not in school - wearing combat boots.

A few minutes went by before Kana let of the strap long enough to put her hand over his, pull it from her arm and place it on her waist, just above her hip. Silently, she grabbed the hand strap again. For the rest of the ride, Souske's hand remained against her side, his hand on her bare flesh between her skirt's waistband and the bottom hem of her top. Neither said anything the rest of the trip.

-

“Madam captain, we have completed the intelligence gathering.” Reported Mardukas, saluting. Tessa nodded.

“Very well.” She said crisply. “Bring the turtle back on board and secure from ELINT operations station.” She ordered. “Helm, set a course for our Pacific base.”

“Aye, aye.” Confirmed the helmswoman. “We're going home.” She smiled. Everyone on the ship was looking forward to the De Danaan's birthday party at their base of operations. They had been at sea on various missions non-stop for the last seven months, and the sub was due for inspection and the crew was due some liberty and down time. Though Tessa was hardly Captain Bligh, serving on the De Danaan was significantly harder than serving on a sub in any nation's Navy, due in no small part to the unique mission parameters and operating guidelines. Even Commander Mardukas, the hide-bound Royal Navy traditionalist submariner was looking forward to some rest.

“Very good.” Replied Tessa, touching her small control pad at her right hand. On the screen just in front of her, a map came up, showing their current position, the destination coordinates, ocean conditions and estimated arrival time. Nodding, she closed out the navigation sub-program and stood up from her Captain's chair. “I'm going to get some rest. You have the bridge, Commander.” She said, saluting the older man. Mardukas returned the salute smartly.

“Aye, ma'am.” He said, seeing her move out the hatch that accessed the bridge. Taking his normal place beside her chair, he surveyed the stations one after the other, running down his mental checklist. Assured that nothing was out of the ordinary, he checked his watch and began his shift.

“As the duty captain, you can sit in her chair, you know.” Came the voice of Kalinin from the hatch. Mardukas glanced at the former Spetnaz commander.

“It isn't very comfortable.” He said simply. The white-haired man nodded. The captain's chair was fitted to Tessa for reasons no one was really sure about, and while it was comfortable from a physical standpoint, it was the mental aspect that made it uncomfortable. It was, quite simply, Tessa's chair, and no one else really ever felt comfortable sitting in it. “Besides, with the De Danaan's advanced systems, there isn't anything to do here, really.” He added. The Russian nodded.

“I can relate to that. It is the same with the ground element. Other than AS maintenance, there is nothing for me to do unless an emergency comes up.” He said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a deck of cards. Wiggling the pack of cards, he smiled at Mardukas. “Shall we pick up from where we left off?” he asked urbanely.

The British officer pulled out the small document tray and fixed it in position over the empty Captain's chair. Kalinin moved to one side, Mardukas already opposite him. Opening the deck of cards, he handed them to his fellow officer, who swiftly but carefully looked them over. Handing them back to Kalinin, he nodded. “The pot was five hundred ten, as I recall, with the stake twenty, correct?” he said, pulling a stack of tightly-folded bills from his pocket. Kalinin nodded as he swiftly shuffled the cards.

“You are correct. Your deal, I believe?” he smiled, putting the deck down. Mardukas swiftly dealt two hands. For the next several hours, the two fought for advantage as the winnings went back and forth.

-

Souske read the freshly-decrypted message from his boss aboard the De Danaan. He had been tasked with bringing Kana with him to the Pacific base in three day's time for the birthday bash celebrating the ship's first birthday. A plane would be waiting for them at the airport on that day to ferry them to the island. Mentally reviewing the operations schedules in his mind, he determined that it would be no particular trouble to do so.

More interesting to him was that he had been correct in his thought that Kana had said the same thing to him on the train back from the beach. Admittedly, he was no expert on Whispereds, having only learned of them a few months ago, but he suspected that such things were not common. I should seek to learn more about this `resonance' capability, as it could be useful to my mission. He decided. Checking his monitors once more, he confirmed that Kana was still at Kyoko's place, and seemed to be in perfect health. Souske pulled over a bag of beef jerky and bottle of water as he manned the command post for his one-man unit to guard `Angel'. Chewing the dried meat, he found himself wishing he were eating some of Kana's cooking.

-

A ways away from his apartment, Kana was sleeping in Kyoko's bed, her friend snuggled up against her, sound asleep. Kana found herself too worked up to fall asleep, however. The evening had been a lot of fun, but it had also been far worse than she had expected on the Souske-front. Kyoko had all but ordered her to make her play or step aside so some other girl could take him. When Kana had pressed her for which girl exactly, Kyoko had shrugged and said `who knows? Maybe me!'.

She was kidding. She had to be kidding. Thought Kana. Kaname knew that several girls had warmed to the idea of Souske as boyfriend material, not to mention the naked challenge of Tessa. Kaname's lips compressed at the thought of the platinum-haired girl. Captain of the submarine Souske was stationed on, she was also desperate for Souske as her boyfriend. Much as she hated to admit it, if it weren't for Souske's perception of the girl as `Captain Testarossa', the odds were that Tessa would be with Souske even now instead of herself. That thought bothered her a bit.

Turning over, she resituated herself against her friend's warm form. Kyoko was a somewhat clingy sleeper, given to wrapping up whoever or whatever was in bed with her in a snug embrace while she slept. Even as Kana settled in, Kyoko's arms closed around her and pulled her against herself. As Kyoko's face settled against her throat, Kaname smiled. She is cuddly. She admitted to herself, finding a comfortable position to hold Kyoko in her arms. Instead of her usual pajamas, Kaname was sleeping in a tee shirt and panties, as she usually did when over at Kyoko's place.

Kyoko had changed her nightwear since the last time that Kana had slept over. Before, she had slept in a one-piece pull-over sleeping garment, but now, she slept in a thin silk shirt that barely came to her hips. When Kana had ribbed her about it, she had just colored a bit and told Kana to try it herself before knocking it. As the two had gotten into bed, she had noticed something else. Kyoko's panties had gone from modest and plain, to sexier and fancier. She hadn't commented on this to Kyoko, figuring that the girl was finally moving to a more adult look.

The thought of panties brought Souske to mind, and she felt her nipples harden. She had bought new underwear herself, though her tastes had always been more adventurous than Kyoko's. Now, she was buying them with an eye toward what she thought Souske might think of any given piece. I wonder what he would think about the matching strapless demi and the low-rise thong set? She wondered, her groin tingling. Bet he'd love them!

Closing her eyes, she pictured herself showing them to Souske. As she imagined his reaction to them, she felt her pussy go from warm and tingly to hot as a volcano and wet as a river. Her nipples were as hard as diamonds and she was sure that they would be easily visible if they weren't covered by the sheet and Kyoko's chest. Her mental fantasy built speed.

As a healthy girl, Kaname had learned about her body and pleasure through curiosity and experimentation. She had been relieving her sexual tension regularly for the last couple of years, and was therefore comfortable with it. Before she knew it, her hand was creeping toward her groin, bumping into Kyoko flesh occasionally on the trip. Usually, the presence of her friend would have stopped her from even thinking about masturbating, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to care if Kyoko was there or not.

Reaching her hips, she eased her hand between her belly and Kyoko's belly, moving toward her panties. When her fingertips touched her cotton panties, she paused, realizing that Kyoko was pressed to her full length. If I do this, she might… thought Kaname hazily. The heat in her inner passage was growing unbearable. With her last bit of control slipping, she pushed her fingers inside her panties and caressed her clit, which was already protruding a bit from its protective sheath. Against her knuckles, she felt Kyoko's panties. Some small vestige of reason tried to tell her something about that fact, but she was beyond listening. Increasing her pace impatiently, she eased first one finger, then another between her lips, spreading her legs a bit to allow greater access.

Moaning softly, Kaname slipped one finger into her soaked passage, her thumb at work on her clit. Having broken her hymen years ago in sports, she had no worries about that issue. Even so, she had never used more than two fingers inside her pussy. As she felt an orgasm building, she eased another finger into herself. A gasp escaped her as she felt Kyoko move against her. Opening her eyes, she saw that Kyoko was still asleep, but was grinding her hips against Kana's hand, her panties rapidly becoming soaked. As she sought greater satisfaction at her pussy, her hands and mouth had discovered her best friend's tits.

Normally, Kaname would have been considerably nervous and uneasy with the situation, but her lust had hog-tied, gagged and stuffed her cognitive abilities into a mental closet before locking the door, leaving only the horny teenager in control of the body at that moment. So, Kaname did what her hormones and lust told her to do: satisfy herself. That Kyoko was there was immaterial, as was the fact that Kyoko was accompanying her on her trip to nirvana. Hell, the entire school could have been there at the moment and she wouldn't have cared - she was too busy dreaming of Souske doing her. “Ah!” she gasped, teetering on the precipice of pleasure. Pushing both fingers as deeply into her passage as she could, she brushed her cervix and fell over the edge. “Souske!” she panted.

Had her cognitive abilities not been tied, gagged and stuffed into the afore-mentioned mental closet, she might have wondered why there was a double echo to her climatic cry. There was a physical echo, and a mental one. Unfortunately, on her way back down from her orgasm, she passed though the stage known as `conscious' too quickly to take note of that fact. Happy and spent, the two slept snuggled together the rest of the night.

-

Tessa lay panting on her bed in her cabin aboard her submarine. She was laying on her back, her uniform skirt pulled up around her waist, her hose torn and her panties pushed aside to allow her fingers access to her slippery pussy. Her other hand had been busy as well. Her uniform jacket was unbuttoned, her blouse likewise open, though a couple of buttons were torn off, and her bra was a total loss, having been ripped open at the joining of the two cups rather than unfastened from the back.

One of her hands still cupped a soft, white breast, the pink nipple still semi-erect in her loose grip. Her other hand was still buried between her legs, one finger inside her pussy to the top knuckle. A light sheen of sweat covered her exposed flesh. As her heart rate returned to normal, she struggled to sit up. “What was that?” she breathed to herself.

She had been sitting at her desk, reading some reports, when she happened to see the photo she kept on her desk. It was one she had taken when Souske had been teaching her to pilot an AS for her now-infamous challenge with Melissa. Fondly, she had picked up the picture, studying it intently, liking the way that she and Souske looked together. As she was wont to do, she had begun to daydream a bit about Souske and her becoming more than officer and soldier, and suddenly, she was on her bed, tearing her clothes off so she could masturbate like Mao at her drunkest!

Guiltily, she withdrew her soaked hand from her pussy and made her way off her bed and into her bathroom, where she washed her hand before removing her uniform and starting the shower. Still, I feel a lot better than I did before. She admitted to herself. Seeing her bra was completely destroyed, she carefully buried it in the trash before doing likewise with her hose. Her panties were soaked with her cum, but she figured that if she washed them before she put them in the laundry, she wouldn't be found out. As she stepped into her tiny shower, she made a mental note to ask that the buttons on her dress blouse be replaced.

Washing herself with her body shampoo, she reviewed what could have possibly brought this bout of self-gratification on. Tessa was shy about certain things, and one of them was sex. Melissa often teased her about that, and she honestly wanted to know more about the topic, but she just couldn't bring herself to discuss it with anyone - not even her closest friend, Melissa. So, why am I suddenly playing with myself like a slut? She wondered. It was a few moments before the most likely answer hit her like a two by four between the eyes. Resonance!

“But with who?” she asked herself out loud. While there was much about the abilities of the Whispered that even MITHRIL didn't know, there was some that they did know. And one of the things they knew was that certain Whispered candidates could resonate with each other. Limited testing had indicated that once a connection was established, it was easier and easier to Resonate with that person. And more and more dangerous to do so. She thought grimly, remembering the papers she had read. I've already Resonated with Kaname twice, and at a relatively deep level, too! Once in that splinter of North Korea, and once to disable the Behemoth.

Leaning her head against the wall of her shower stall, she let the water simply run over her. That Kaname was a Whispered was a proven fact now, and had been since she had tutored Souske on the use of the Lambda Driver when he first ran up against the AS codenamed Venom piloted by Gauron in the breakout from the former North Korea base. What MITHRIL didn't know was her exact Whispered profile.

Initial classification based upon the reports from Souske, Kurz, Mao and herself classified her as a Technical type, but since Tessa had Resonated with her, she was less convinced that Kaname Chidori was her type of Whispered. Tessa had made mention of the possibility that Kaname was a Practical type, but only in her personal journal. Only one other Practical type Whispered had been located by MITHRIL, and in the extraction of the target, the Whispered had been critically injured.

Straightening herself, she swiftly finished cleaning herself and stepped out of the shower, grabbing her towel as she did so. As she was wrapping her towel around her hair, she heard her door chime. “Yes?” she called.

“It's me, Melissa.” Came the voice of her best friend. Tessa grabbed a pair of panties and a bra before hitting the button to open her door. As she stepped into the panties, Mao entered her cabin. Hearing the door shut behind her friend, Tessa wiggled into her bra and fastened it before looking at Mao.

“What's up, Melissa?” she asked, reaching for her running shorts and tee shirt she usually wore when she was planning to be in her cabin for a while. The taller Chinese American woman dropped into a chair in front of her desk.

“Nothing much. Thought I'd check up on you.” She said easily. Tessa came over to her desk and sat in her chair, leaning back as she looked at Mao. The other woman was smiling.

“Two more days, Melissa.” She said, her tone conveying her excitement. Melissa nodded.

“Yes, two more days, and you can confess your feelings to him.” She sniped. Tessa felt her cheeks heat up.

“I…don't know about that.” She managed. Mao sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she studied her friend and commanding officer.

“Rumor has it that `Angel' is coming with him.” She said simply. Tessa nodded.

“She is.” She confirmed. Mao took a breath.

“Tessa,” she began, her tone level and serious, “if you don't tell him, she will, and you'll likely lose him to her.” She warned her friend. Tessa grimaced, but didn't say anything in reply; she knew that Mao was right. But, what if he says no? wondered one part of her mind. And what about the Resonance Effect? Another part wondered. Seeing Mao flick out a Marlboro, she spoke.

“There's no smoking on board, Melissa.”

-

Kyoko lay panting next to Souske in her bed. The two of them had just finished another `training exercise', and were cooling off. Earlier that day, Souske had asked Kana to accompany him on a short trip the day after tomorrow, and she had accepted. The fact that this had happened in plain sight of everyone working on the school festival preparations had made it an instant topic of gossip.

Eager to learn what he was planning for her best friend, Kyoko had waited for an opportunity to ask him to come to her place that night, and he had agreed to do so once Kana was asleep. With her parents out of town again, she had waited up for him in a simple robe, almost giddy with anticipation. Of the sex, yes, but more so of the chance to ask him what he plans to do with Kana! She thought, glancing to her side, where Souske was recovering from their training. He had come twice, and was understandably a bit tired. For her part, she had had several orgasms, but they weren't tiring for her. Now's as good a time as any. She thought. “Hey, Souske?” she said, rolling onto her side to study him.

“Yes, Kyoko?” he replied, turning his head to look at her.

“What's with the invitation to Kana today?” she asked, smiling. “Are you taking her somewhere romantic to propose to her?” she prompted. Souske considered that.

“I have been ordered to bring her to my organization's base of operations for a birthday celebration.” He replied truthfully, but vaguely. “I had not considered any other activates.” He admitted. Kyoko slowly nodded.

Well, it would have come to this anyway, Kyoko. She thought. “Souske, do you like Kana?” she asked him. He nodded immediately.

“Affirmative. She is amazing.” He said. Once more, she nodded to herself.

“Do you find her attractive? I mean, do you want to have sex with her? Like we do?” she clarified. It took him a moment to answer that, but he did.

“Yes, but I don't think that…” he began.

“Kana likes you a lot.” Interrupted Kyoko. “She has even told me that she has been having dreams of sleeping with you for the last several months.” She continued. Souske stared at her. Feeling like he might not be grasping the extent of this information, she took one more stab at it. “She's horny for you.” She said bluntly.

“Kaname is…with me?” he wondered. Since he had been getting `instruction' from Kyoko, he had been lectured on several topics he had not even known existed. One of the topics had been dating and male/female relationship structure. It had completely baffled him, even with Kyoko's patient explanations. Even so, he was now aware of certain things he had never been aware of before.

“Yes. And I think you love her.” Stated Kyoko. Souske considered this. Opening his mouth to answer, he felt her press a finger to his lips, silencing him. “Don't bother. I know you haven't worked with this issue before, but I am sure that I am right.” She dismissed his reply.

“What is your suggestion, then, Kyoko?” he asked her. Kyoko paused to consider her next step. Just do it and be done with it, Kyoko. You know this is the right thing to do, both for you and for Kana.

“I suggest you tell her how you feel about her, and go from there.” Said Kyoko softly.

“I…am not sure I can do that.” He replied. Kyoko shook her head.

“Sometime when you two are alone - and not fighting! - just tell her how being around her makes you feel. Depending on how she reacts, you will know what to do next.” She explained.

“I will try, Kyoko.” He promised her. She shook her head.

“Don't try, Souske,” She warned him. “succeed!”

“Roger that.” He replied automatically. Kyoko took a deep breath.

“Souske.” She said, keeping her voice as level as she could. “If she decides to be with you, we will go back to being just friends. No more training at that point.” She cautioned him. He slowly nodded.

“A wise choice.” He agreed. Silence descended for several dozen heartbeats before he spoke again. “Should she not feel that way about me, would…?” he began.

Kyoko silenced him with a kiss. When she broke it a while later, she answered. “If Kana doesn't see you that way, you can be sure that I do.” She said quietly, kissing him again. For the next half hour, the two simply kissed and lightly petted each other. As Kyoko drifted off to sleep, she knew that it would be one of the last times she and he were together. No matter how much she thinks she doesn't love him, she does. And I'd bet my life on her choosing to be with him. With that somewhat sad, yet oddly honest realization, she drifted off to sleep.

-

“Whoa.” Gasped Kana softly, seeing the plane they would be going on. It was an odd-looking one, but seemed perfectly useful. In her hand was the handle to her suitcase, which contained what she thought she would need for a few days with Souske. Not to mention the `gifts' from Kyoko, Orin and Mizuki! She thought, her lips twitching a bit at the memory of the day before.

Out of the blue, Kyoko had handed her a small digital camera with a note on it that said `for summer memories. Love, Kyoko.' Later that day, as the girls were changing after gym, Mizuki had pulled a small box out of her locker and handed it to her, telling her to be sure to take it with her. Glancing at the top of the box, she had seen a small note that said `for enjoying your trip. Love, Mizuki.' With no time to pursue the issue, she had just added it to her school bag and moved on. That afternoon, Orin had taken her aside in the Student Council room and handed her a small gift-wrapped box. Smiling, she had told her that it would be useful when the time came. Frowning, she asked the gracious girl when that time would be, only to have Orin smile at her and say `you will know, Kana.'

“Are you ready, Kana?” Souske's voice interrupted her musing. Turning to him, she smiled.

“Uh huh.” She nodded. Spying his small pack, she felt a bit self-conscious with her large suitcase. Well, girls need more stuff than guys! She thought to herself, justifying her suitcase. Inside it rested her bikini and her school swimsuit, just in case.

“Very well. Let's get going.” He said, motioning to the short steps into the aircraft. Kaname swiftly and easily boarded, followed by Souske, who closed and locked the hatch. As soon as the two were seated, the pilot announced their imminent take-off. In a shockingly short time, they were airborne and winging out over the expanse of the Pacific.

“How long is this flight going to take, Souske?” wondered Kaname. Souske conferred with the pilot briefly over a small headset before answering.

“We will be airborne for approximately five hours.” He replied. Kana blinked.

“This place must be way out there.” She replied. Souske nodded.

“Affirmative. As our primary Pacific base, it is well off the normal transportation routes.” He agreed. Kaname was reminded that he was a member of a mercenary outfit, not some standing army with regular bases in established locations.

“Well, what should be we do to pass the time?” she asked him.

“At our current altitude, there is not much to see, so I would recommend sleeping or reading, if you have a book.” He suggested. Kana shook her head.

“Well, I'm not sleepy yet, and I don't have a book.” She said, rummaging in her bag. Feeling what she was after, she withdrew a deck of cards. “How about this?” she smiled at him. For the next several hours, the two played various card games, Kaname enjoying herself immensely. Their entertainment was interrupted by the PA speakers.

“Sergeant, you have priority secure traffic from TDD 1. Repeat: priority secure traffic from TDD 1.” Came the voice of the pilot. Immediately, Souske was all business.

“Excuse me, Kana.” He said tightly, all but running to the cockpit. Kana slowly gathered her playing cards and put them away. Something tells me this isn't good news. She thought to herself.

Moments later, Souske was back, jogging past her as the plane banked sharply. Turning to watch Souske, she saw him open a storage compartment and withdraw a large, rubber-like bag, as well as a strange pack from the storage bin. As he secured the storage compartment, Kana felt the plane dive. “Souske, what's wrong?” she asked, a bit apprehensively.

“There has been a change of plans. We will be joining the De Danaan in route.” He said simply, trotting back to her with the large bag. “Please put all your things in this bag. All of them.” He repeated. The PA came alive again.

“Nine minutes to drop zone, Sergeant.”

“Thank you.” He called toward the cockpit. Turning his attention back to Kana, he firmly - but gently - pulled her to her feet. “Do you have a swimsuit?” he asked her intently. Slowly she nodded. “Excellent. I need for you to change into it immediately.” He directed her.

“Here?!” she demanded. Souske tugged her toward a small compartment at the back.

“You can change in here. Please hurry.” He directed. Kana stepped into the small room and closed the door before swiftly stripping and pulling out her swimsuit. After a moment of consideration, she chose the school swimsuit. As she adjusted her breasts, she heard a knock on the door.

“Are you finished?” came Souske's voice. Kaname tucked her discarded clothes into the rubber bag as he opened the door. “I see you are. Excellent.” He said, tugging on her arm. Outside the room, the co-pilot was helping Souske with the strange pack and a webbing harness.

“What are you doing?” she wondered. Turning to her, he took the bag, attaching it to a length of folded strapping with a heavy-duty carabiner. Suddenly, the situation made sense to her. “We're…jumping?!” she demanded.

“Roger that!” confirmed Souske, taking her arms and holding them over her head as he turned her. Numbly, she held her arms up as Souske swiftly fitted the tandem harness to her.

“Fifteen seconds, sergeant!” yelled the co-pilot, opening the door. Over the rush of the slipstream, he yelled one more thing as Souske guided Kana into the doorway. “Good luck, sir!” With a thumbs up, Souske threw them out the door.

-

Kana sat on a bed in the sickbay of the De Danaan, having just been checked over by the ship's doctor, an older black woman with an experienced air about her. After assuring her that she was fine, she had stepped out, and Tessa had stepped into the room. “I'm sorry for the change in plans, Kaname, but we got tasked with an urgent mission, so we had to bring you on board rather then meet up at the island base. I hope you can forgive me for this.” She said, her tone sincere.

“Oh, it's fine, Tessa.” Said Kaname, her tone a bit sarcastic. “I love jumping out of airplanes over the middle of the ocean with Sergeant Psycho there.” She flipped her hand at Souske. Sagara stood at attention by the door, still soaked in seawater. Unlike Kana, he didn't have a swimsuit, and had ridden the turtle down in his shorts and tee shirt. Shaking her head, Kana moved on. “Besides, I really wanted to talk with you, Tessa.” She said, smiling at the other girl. “And I'm sure you wanted to talk to me, right?” she prompted the smaller girl.

“Yes.” Agreed Tessa. Turning to Souske, she spoke to him directly. “Sergeant Sagara, please head over to the flight hanger and tell anyone you happen to see there that Kana and myself will be along presently.”

“Yes, Captain!” he saluted her and turned smartly for the door. After he was gone, Tessa turned back to Kaname.

“Why don't you go ahead and rinse off and change into your normal clothes.” She suggested. “I would love to give you a tour of my ship.” She added. Kaname shrugged.

“Sure, why not?” she said, rising and stepping over to the bare shower to clean off. Within a quarter hour, she was back in her travel clothes and following Tessa around the ship. She had to admit, the De Danaan was a marvel of technology. When Tessa bumped into something and fell, she had asked her if she was sure she was the captain.

Tessa's reply had stung her a lot, and she had spent the next several minutes silently considering the smaller girl. When they reached a large set of heavy doors, Tessa warned her that she might not like what she was about to see, but to please remain calm. Opening the doors, she had stepped through, leaving Kana to follow her into the dark room.

No sooner had she taken a few steps into the room, than all the lights came on and she found herself in front of a large gathering of people, all wearing uniforms of various types. She felt a bit underdressed in her simple sundress. More surprising, they all cheered for her and saluted her. Spotting Souske standing near Tessa and his two fellow AS pilots, she suddenly understood. Bringing herself to attention, she returned the salute; it was a perfect salute made possible by her long exposure to Souske. From there, the party had started.

“Hey, you look a little stiff.” Came Kurz's voice as Souske watched Tessa, Kaname and Melissa perform well-done song and dance number on the make-shift stage. The sergeant had been standing near a back wall of the flight deck while the party swirled around him, his eyes spending their time on Kana and Tessa. “Come on, it's a party!” pressed Kurz. “What's wrong with you?”

“I find it a bit reckless to have a party while under weigh to a mission.” He said tersely.

“Hey, Tessa said it was ok, so you should just trust her.” Scoffed Kurz.

“And Kana being aboard is not an efficient means of protecting her.” Noted Souske. Kurz shook his head.

“Man, you have got a real hang-up about this, you know?” he sighed. “Look, the De Danaan is the safest place on earth for her! And there wasn't a lot of choice in the matter, as having her waiting around at our base would be even more dangerous, wouldn't it?” Souske said nothing, just watching the climax of the song and dance. Hearing the applause, Kurz downed the last of his punch and made his way toward the stage, where Kana and Tessa were still smiling at their fans, Kana's hand resting on Tessa's shoulder. “I'm up next, so we'll take this up later.” Called the blonde womanizer as he jogged off. Souske silently watched the party progress to bingo for a kiss from Tessa.

-

The mission briefing was going on, and Kana was sitting in Tessa's chair on the bridge while the Captain was at the briefing. With the entire AS compliment going into battle as well as the greater part of the air wing, there was much to be done by the young girl, while Kana was without a job. She had spent the last two hours touring the sub with Souske, learning a lot about the ultra-tech wonder that was Tessa's pride and joy.

“This is the most comfortable chair I have ever been in.” she said idly. Seeing every eye on the bridge turn to look at her with shock, she frowned. “What? It is.” She insisted. “Is there something you aren't telling me?” she asked, her tone a bit sharp.

“It's nothing.” Assured Mardukas blandly. All the crewmembers turned back to their stations.

“If it's nothing, what's with the stares?” she asked suspiciously, absently tapping commands into the small terminal attached to the chair. On the main screen, program after program popped up, then disappeared. Mardukas was finding it hard to be near the girl, as she seemed to know as much about the systems as Tessa; something that shouldn't be possible.

“It's just odd to see you sitting there, that's all. We are used to seeing the Captain there.” He deflected smoothly. Not entirely satisfied with the answer, Kana nevertheless let it go at that. Turning her thoughts to the other girl in Souske's life, Kana lost track of time for a bit.

Before she knew it, she was startled to feel someone touch her arm. Blinking, she turned to see Tessa standing next to her. “Oh! Tessa.” She said, smiling a bit as she stood, stepping aside so Tessa could retake her chair. The smaller girl shook her head.

“Mardukas has the watch. We have a couple of hours before the mission begins, so I was wondering if you would care to accompany me to one more place.” She said. Kana shrugged.

“Sure.” She agreed easily. Leading the taller girl through a maze of passages, she arrived at non-descript doorway and motioned Kana through. Opening the door, she found herself looking at a large room with a deep tub in it. Waving to her was Melissa, lounging in the tub, a can of beer in hand.

“Come on in, Kana!” called the Sergeant Major. “Water's fine!” Kana turned to Tessa, who was smiling at her.

“You have a bath house in here?” she asked, shocked. Tessa giggled.

“Sort of.” She explained. “This is technically a wash facility for AS parts, but when it's not in use, I can commandeer it for a bath. I know that most Japanese don't feel that a shower is always sufficient, so I thought you might care for a relaxing dip before the work starts.” She offered, beginning to slip out of her clothes. Kana nodded.

“I certainly wouldn't mind one.” She agreed, pulling her dress off. Within moments, the three were in the `tub', soaking and listening to Melissa tell them about the first meeting of what became the Urzu team. As she listened to the story, Kana felt herself thinking of the serious young man.

-

“I wasn't expecting for Gauron and the Venom Mark 2 to be here. My apologies for the lack of information.” Said Kalinin to Tessa over the radio as she watched the feed from the hangar bay, where Melissa was being pulled from the evac helicopter, her injuries clearly visible. “We lost three M9s and have two critically wounded. We have secured the chemical weapons and confirmed that there is no booby traps on the facilities.” He continued.

“Where is Gauron?” asked Tessa, her voice hard and tight. Melissa is my best friend, and he nearly killed her! She seethed to herself. Oh, I want blood for this!

“He is being held under tight guard in an empty munitions locker.” Reported Kalinin. “I have two men inside the room with him, both with orders to kill him if he so much as stands from the chair he is handcuffed to. Two more men are stationed outside the door, and the corridor out of that block is dogged shut from this side.”

“Very well.” Acknowledged Tessa. “And the Venom Mark 2 AS?” she asked.

“Powered down, locked down and under guard in the flight hanger, ma'am.” Replied the Russian. “Our Tech division wants a look at it to see if they can pinpoint the origin of the Lambda driver technology that Gauron has been using so effectively lately.” For a moment, all was silent.

“How is Sergeant Sagara?” asked Tessa softly. Kalinin considered that.

“He considered it his personal responsibility that Mao and Haskin were injured.” He paused, debating, then went ahead. “Miss Chidori went to look for him.” He added.

“He's been acting strange since that mission Himajistad.” Noted Tessa. What is it about Gauron that gets to him so badly? Is it that he fears that he might become like that monster? Wondered the girl.

“Himajistad is an open wound to him.” Said Kalinin softly. “He lost his entire `family' there once, and this last time, he lost his entire unit. Both times, it was by Gauron's hand.” Tessa nodded minutely.

“Then we will have to do something about him.” She said grimly. “Something permanent.” She added.

“Ma'am.” Agreed the old soldier.

“As soon as the facility has been secured by the UN, return to the base via the normal manner.” Ordered Tessa. “I am heading there now.” She said. The De Danaan was already under weigh from the island facility where Kalinin and a few MITHRIL AS units were waiting to hand it over to the task force in route to the scene.

“Change of plans, cutie!” came a dark voice from the door. Turning, she saw Gauron standing in the doorway, a gun in one hand, and the other hand around Kana's neck. Behind him, two of her crew stood, guns in hand. Throwing Kana into the room, he and his two men rushed in, swiftly subduing the members on watch. While his two henchmen secured the watch officers, Gauron approached Tessa, smirking at her.

“Even though you have taken control of the bridge, you still can't control the De Danaan.” Warned Tessa, shrinking back a bit as he reached out and caressed her cheek.

“I wouldn't be too sure about that.” He mocked, taking her braid in hand and using it to pull her out of her chair and to the floor next to Kana, who helped her regain a more dignified position. “I must say, your crew is incredibly loyal.” He laughed. “It took me three years to find enough men to pull this off.” He paused, fishing around in his AS suit's inner pocket before withdrawing a disc. “MITHRIL's technical division wasn't nearly as hard to buy.” He taunted her, stepping to the analysis station and inserting the disc into a reader. The normally blue screens went blank for a moment, then came up again, red this time.

“Awaiting your orders, Captain Gauron.” Came the voice of the AI. Tessa gasped.

“De Danaan! No!” she yelled. There was no response.

“So sorry, girl, but she has a new master now.” Leered Gauron, dropping into her chair. “What do you say we find out what she can do, hmm?” Seeing Tessa's lips tighten into a thin line, the terrorist just chuckled. “I'll take that as a `yes', girl.” He taunted. “Dana, let's secure the pests first. Sound a fire alarm in a reactor room. And also sound the radiation leak in another reactor room.” He commanded. Immediately, the master danger alarm sounded, along with the automated ship-wide warning for all crew to prepare to abandon ship.

“Crew is assembling in hanger for evacuation.” Came Dana's emotionless response. “What are your orders, Captain Gauron?”

“Close and seal all emergency bulkheads and water-tight doors leading to and from the flight deck. Close off sickbay, engineering and maintenance as well. That should keep them out of my hair.” He muttered.

“Orders carried out, Captain Gauron.” Came the reply a moment later.

“Good girl.” Purred Gauron, turning to smile at Tessa and Kana. “See, she likes me!” he said.

“I wouldn't bet on it.” Hissed Tessa to herself. I have to do something! This maniac will send us all to the bottom if I leave him in charge of my De Danaan! But what can I do? I'm terrible at hand-to-hand, and I can't even give Kana a tour of the ship without tripping! If I were more like…! Tessa's eyes opened a bit as the solution hit her. Slowly, she slid her eyes to Kana, seeing the girl was quiet and still though her eyes showed she was far from done fighting.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Gauron. “Dana, come up to action depth. There should be a couple of surface ships around here somewhere. What do you say we go say `hi'?”

“Yes, sir. Confirmed presence of United States warships within operational range. Orders?” came the reply from the ship's AI.

“When we reach launch depth, I want you to fire two anti-ship missiles at the largest of the warships.” Directed Gauron.

“Are you insane!?” yelled the weapons officer. “That's a guided missile cruiser! And it's in a battle-group with two destroyers and a frigate!” Gauron's cold eyes came to rest on the weapons officer.

“Are you questioning the Captain's orders, sailor?” he snarled, his finger coming to rest on the trigger to his submachine gun. Tessa turned her head to catch her weapons officer's eyes, minutely shaking her head. The man went silent. “Thought not.” Grunted Gauron.

“Missile launch depth achieved. Missiles prepared.” Reported Dana.

“Fire.” Purred Gauron. Tessa heard the muffled sound of the missiles departing.

There's no more time. When the American Navy takes fire, we will be forced into a fight, and Gauron has no chance of winning against them. I have to risk it. Focusing on the floor in front of her, Tessa concentrated on the soft Whisper at the back of her mind. Beside her, Kana gasped softly.

-

“Well, well. Looks like I wasn't the only one who decided not to go to the hanger.” Said Kurz, seeing Souske emerge from an adjoining passage. “What are you doing here?” he wondered.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Pointed out Souske to his comrade in arms. Kurz shrugged.

“I've never been a team player.” He said. “And you?”

“I couldn't find Kana, so I went to look for her, and now the emergency doors are locked.” He replied. A moment later, he said what else was on his mind. “This situation seems strange. Captain Testarossa would not have a drill like this at this time, and I can not see the safety system failing twice in a row without some prior warning.”

“So, you think something is wrong, too, then.” Said Kurz, his tone solemn. Just then, from farther forward and up from where they were, they heard some dull bangs that sounded suspiciously like gunshots. Without a single glance at each other, the two raced toward the bridge.

-

Tessa whipped her small SIG P230 out from behind her back, shoving herself to her feet as she pulled the trigger on the small gun. “Kana! Go!” she yelled, swiftly but deliberately shooting at the mutineer by the bridge door, who swore and dove to the side. From where she had crouched next to Tessa, Kana surged up and sprinted for the open door, clearing the lower half of the man in a low hurdle jump.

With Kana off and running, Tessa turned her gun and aim toward Gauron and the other man, pulling off the last three rounds in her gun, one of them ricocheting into the second man's side, putting him down. The click! Of the trigger sounded ridiculously loud to the girl as she saw Gauron and the second man stand. She didn't have to look at her gun to know that it was empty.

“Get that bitch.” Snarled Gauron to his subordinate as he marched toward Tessa. “I'll take care of her.” He directed. The man leapt toward the door. “And be sure you don't kill her!” he yelled after his man as he slapped the gun from Tessa's hands and grabbed her jaw, pulling her up to his face, her feet dangling a few inches off the floor. “I must say, I am impressed, girl.” He congratulated her. “Not one of my agents knew you carried a gun on you.” He continued.

Tessa felt tears gather at the corners of her eyes from the pain of his grip on her jaw, but she refused to allow herself to look away from him. Melissa always made me promise to carry that gun whenever I was outside my cabin, and it's saved me twice now. She thought proudly. Gauron tightened his grip a bit, and she felt - and heard - her jaw begin to give. A high squeal of pain escaped her throat before Gauron abruptly dropped her, causing her to crumple at his feet.

“You've caught my interest, girl.” He announced. “You're not as developed as miss Chidori, but you'll do.” He decided. “We'll get to know each other very well.”

“I'd rather die!” spat Tessa. Gauron grabbed her braid again and pulled her to her feet, bending down to lick her cheek.

“Oh, you will eventually.” He promised her. “But not until I've had enough.” He whispered to her. Moving back to the command chair, he sat down, pulling her down onto his lap, one hand tearing her uniform jacket down her arms to secure them. “Now then, what should we do first?” he asked her. The bridge crew, secured to their chairs, could only yell at him not to touch her.

-

Kana crouched behind a row of equipment lockers, listening as best she could for the sounds of the boots the man chasing her wore. Over the pounding of her own heartbeat, she concentrated on listening. Not hearing him, she exhaled. “Did I lose him?” she asked herself softly. Taking stock of the situation, she shrugged off the jacket she wore over her tight mid-riff top and shorts. “This was expensive, too.” She muttered, dropping the jacket and reaching for her shoes and socks.

Barefoot and with no loose clothing to give anyone purchase on her, she ventured back into the corridors and made her way toward Tessa's cabin. Silently, she moved along the passageways, listening and looking around for any signs of an ambush. Thanks to Souske, I actually have some experience in this! She thought fleetingly. Spying the entrance to Tessa's cabin, she checked the passage once more, then ran to it, keyed in the code she had seen in Tessa's mind and jumped through the door, locking it with another code.

The thought of Souske made her heart twinge in her chest. She had found him in the locker room, still in his AS suit and had tried to comfort him. Instead, he had lashed out at her verbally. It was the first time since she had known him that he had ever raised his voice, let alone yelled at her. Why did his words hurt so much? She wondered, searching for the safe in Tessa's office. Was it because…they were true? Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts aside as she found the safe.

-

Souske and Kurz were tucked into what cover they could find as one of their crewmates shot at them. The two had almost walked into an ambush, but their combat-tuned senses warned them barely in the nick of time. Now, they were pinned down. “Well, I think that this proves something is wrong here.” Muttered Kurz.

Peeking around the edge of the bulkhead, Souske jerked his head back as a round smacked off the steel. “So it would seem.” He allowed, pulling a small device from his pocket. Seeing him check it briefly, Kurz had a question.

“What's that?”

“It's the tracker for the locator on Kana.” He said. “She's no longer on the bridge. She's…in Captain Testarossa's cabin?” he frowned. “What is she doing there?” he wondered.

“Oh, I don't know…maybe HIDING?!” came back Kurz sarcastically. “Anyway, you need to get your ass over there. I'll deal with this shit for brains.” He said, peeking around the corner. Souske didn't move.

“I don't think that…” he began. Kurz turned to look at the serious young man.

“I really don't care what you think.” He interrupted his fellow AS pilot. “You have to apologize to Kana, dip shit. So leave this joker to me and get going!” Seeing him hesitate, he played his ace. “She's your mission, stupid, and she needs saving!” Souske's lips tightened.

“Affirmative!” he said, and was gone, two rounds chasing him down the corridor to the nearest connecting passage. Kurz lunged around the corner of his covering bulkhead and dashed to the next compartment door, barely beating a bullet to cover.

“Hey, shit head, you're a fucking lousy shot!” he taunted the man.

“Then why not just show me that blonde head?” replied the man. Kurz began to look around for something to use as a weapon. Damn fine time to have left my gun in my quarters. He thought absently. Oh, well. I'm just a decoy this time. Come on, Souske. If you mess this up, I'll never forgive you!

-

Kana literally bounced off the edge of the hatch to the small break room, her adrenaline high enough that the full-body impact didn't even register with her. She could feel the man behind her grab at her, barely missing her. Her hip caught a table edge and down she went, skidding along the floor.

“End of the line, girl!” snarled the man as Kana struggled to get her feet under her. When she was on her feet again, she spun to see the man advancing on her, her eyes desperately looking for a way out of the room. Failing to see one except straight through the man, she looked for some sort of weapon.

Without any sort of weapon presenting itself, she braced for a last-ditch effort and suddenly threw herself at the man, planning to fake high and go low, hopefully slipping past him. Maybe I can throw him off balance and get enough lead to get to the TAUROS room. She hoped, launching herself at him. She did manage to catch him off guard, and for a moment, she thought she would make it. Then, she felt her head snap back, and knew that she had failed.

Having missed her body, the man managed to get a grip on her hip-length hair, jerking her body to a stop by it. When Kana crashed to the floor, one hand grabbing her hair to relieve the pressure on her neck, the other scrambling for some purchase to get herself on her feet again, the man had tucked his gun into the back of his belt and grabbed her arm, forcing it behind her back as he dragged her up to her feet. “Told you, bitch, end of the line.” He snarled in her ear. Kana gasped as he forced her arm up higher.

Pushing her over a table, he slapped her ass. “I can't kill you, but as long as you're alive, nothing else matters.” He told her. “Since I had to chase you all over this fucking place, I think I'll take it out in trade!” he growled, grabbing her shorts in preparation to tear them off her.

-

“Acoustic signature detected.” Came Dana's cool, detached voice. “Enemy submarine confirmed. Orders, Captain Gauron?” Gauron looked up from Tessa, scowling.

“Take her down to one thousand meters.” He said. “Full ahead.” Looking at Tessa, he licked his lips. “We'll pick this up in a bit, sweetie.” He promised her, shoving her off his lap. She fell at the foot of her chair and he immediately dropped both his heels on her, pinning her to the floor. Other than her blouse being torn open and her bra being pushed up, she was in pretty good shape, though she was sure her pantyhose were ruined and her panties were probably torn a bit.

“Enemy submarine had dove in pursuit. Now detecting high-speed screws. Torpedoes launched.” Reported Dana. Gauron chuckled.

“Oh, this is looking bad.” He taunted the bridge crew and Tessa. “Can we get out of this alive? I don't know; it's looking mighty bad!” Seeing that none of the crew were responding, he shrugged. “You all are no fun.” He muttered. Raising his voice, he issued his commands. “Dana, give me flank speed!” he directed. Beneath his heels, Tessa closed her eyes.

This man is a maniac! We've been misreading him all along! Feeling a tingle in her mind, she closed her senses to the bridge, listening to the Whisper in her head.

-

“You're full of shit, Quinn!” panted Kurz, barely able to stand after his close-quarter battle with the traitor. “That money's the same to me as cheap toilet paper! It just hurts your ass and clogs up the drain!” he vented. Below him, the dead man made no reply.

“Honestly, Kurz, you have no talent for unarmed combat. You jumped over him and away from him like a street punk. I just couldn't keep watching.” Came a familiar voice from the connecting passageway. Blinking, Kurz turned to see his squad leader leaning against the bulkhead. Melissa Mao was not feeling very well at the moment, but she was up and running. The fact that she was only wearing her sports bra and panties was not lost on Kurz.

“Man, where's a camera when you need one?” he muttered. Mao looked at the body at the foot of the stairs.

“Is that Quinn?” she asked, sounding confused. “What was he trying to do? What's…going on here?” she asked Kurz.

“Right. What do you know?” asked the young man as Mao slowly eased herself to the decking.

“I was fighting that new Venom AS, and next thing I knew, I was in the infirmary with the alarms going off.” She said, feeling weak and a little dizzy. “I didn't want to go to the hanger like this,” she vaguely motioned to her lack of attire, “so I hid and went to look for some clothes. I saw you fighting, and here we are.” She paused. “I wonder if Peggy game me some new kind of medicine?” she finished.

“Don't know about that, but we seem to have a mutiny on our hands or something. I'd bet my life that that Gauron guy is behind it.” Said Kurz. “Souske and I thought that something was wrong with the alarm, so we went the other way instead, and now, he's gone to secure Kana. As far as what we have planned…” he broke off that thought as he heard a distinct ping! Reverberate through the hull.

-

“Kana, are you injured? Does it hurt anywhere?” asked Souske intently, seeing her huddled against the wall. Behind him, the body of her attacker was lying in a slowly-expanding pool of blood. Kana was trembling when she looked up at him.

“It hurts everywhere!” she rasped. “My entire body aches.” She said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “But it's ok…I won't burden you any more, Souske.” She said resolutely. “Go. Do what you have to do. I'll be fine.” She tried to assure him.

“Kaname, I didn't mean to say those things to you.” He said softly, touching her cheek. “I was being stupid, in fact.” He admitted. Kaname blinked.

“What?” she wondered, shocked. Did he just say he was being stupid?

“I said I was being stupid.” He confirmed. “The truth is that when I am with you, I feel like there isn't anything we can't do. If you hadn't been there for me, I would have died. I…am here because you were there for me when I needed you. And I like being with you.” He added, feeling very awkward. Kaname was gaping at him.

“You really feel that way?” she asked him stupidly. He nodded.

“Affirmative.” He emphatically confirmed. Extending his hand to her, he helped her up. “Where were you heading in such a hurry?” he asked her. Kaname gasped.

“Tessa!” she hissed. “Come on! We have to hurry!” she said, leading him out the door at a run, her pain forgotten. Within moments, she was sliding the master key into the door she had seen in Tessa's mind. With a soft click and whirr, the door opened, revealing a brightly-lit white room with an odd piece of gear in the center.

Vaguely resembling a bed, it was sort of like a couch. Kana approached it, touching it with a finger. “I see. It's an earlier model of the one in Arbalest, but instead of being hooked up to a Lambda driver, it's connected to Dana herself.” He murmured, touching a couple of controls and laying down on the couch-like seat. The lids closed behind her.

Souske watched her close her eyes, the machine humming a little as it reclined a bit more. With no clue what was happening, he waited. After a moment, he decided he should ask Kana what he should do. Before he could, he was surprised to hear a voice in the chamber, though Kana's lips didn't move. Listening, he heard Tessa's voice and Kana's voice, as if they were speaking to him in stereo. “Thank you, Souske. Your job here is now done. Please come rescue me now.”

With nothing else to say, he saluted the room. “Roger that, Captain!”

-

“Launch decoys.” Directed Gauron. “This is going to be tight.” He said to Tessa, still resting beneath his heels. She made no answer. Indeed, Gauron frowned when Dana didn't answer. He looked up just in time to see the screens go blank, then come back up; in brilliant blue.

“On my mark, launch two decoys rigged for deep submersion, followed immediately by an emergency blow and full-power ascent, Dana.” Came the voice of Tessa, calm and collected.

“Aye, Captain.” Replied the AI immediately. Grimacing, Gauron lifted his feet off her and leaned forward, taking her braid in hand. “Torpedoes now 600 meters from us and closing.” Reported Dana.

“Execute.” Said Tessa, feeling pain as Gauron pulled her up by her hair. The ship shuddered as it pumped out two decoys and all but stood on its end as it raced for the surface. The entire ship shook as one torpedo hit a decoy barely 200 meters behind and below them. Moments later, a second explosion shook the ship, marking the detonation of the other decoy. The bridge crew were staring at Tessa in shock as she dangled from Gauron's grip by her platinum braid. There was a vindictive smile on her face.

“This is your doing.” Snarled Gauron. “What kind of magic is this?” he demanded.

“It's not magic!” spat back Tessa. “It means that Dana doesn't trust you!” Baring his teeth, he released her braid, causing her to slid down the slanted deck, slamming into the bulkhead with terrific force. The impact caused her nose to bleed from the G-forces of deceleration.

Gauron slowly pointed his submachine gun at her. “Even if you kill me, you can never take control of her again, Gauron!” taunted Tessa. “She is my ship, and I am her only captain!” she howled fiercely. “Isn't she magnificent?” she purred. “Playtime is officially over!”

Immediately, all the doors unlocked, the emergency systems came back on line and the air circulation system returned to normal in the hanger. Gauron snarled in anger, his finger tightening on the trigger to his gun.

“GAURON!!” roared a familiar voice, followed by an exchange of gunfire.

-

The De Danaan was docked at Maredia Island, at the Pacific base for MITHRIL. She had taken some serious damage, but was still seaworthy. After the Venom Mark 2 had self-destructed with Gauron aboard, the sub had slipped beneath the waves and headed for base to lick its wounds. Even now, an army of techs swarmed over her, assessing the damage and beginning repairs; though it would be weeks before she was back in service - possibly months.

At that moment, the crew of the De Danaan was assembled dockside for roll call and inspection. More than half of them - Tessa included - were injured in some way from the attack. Taking a deep breath, Tessa began her slow walk in front of the ranks, calling out names. Each one that answered was a weight off her chest, but the ones that didn't weighed on her more heavily that could be assuaged by the ones that made it.

Hearing Mardukas, her XO and traditional submariner tell her each missed name was `out on patrol' hurt her more than she had expected. It was all she could do not to burst into tears. The price of keeping that control was that she couldn't look at her crew as she went down the list of names. When she reached the Urzu team, she felt a small burst of strength from the fact that all three of them answered.

As she neared the end of the ranks, she spotted a familiar person standing directly in her path. Kaname Chidori was watching her, her eyes steady. In her mind, she could feel the other girl, almost as if she was willing her the strength to finish the roll call. Accepting the offer, she let herself slip deeper into the Resonance. Before she knew it, she was watching the departing transport with the bodies of the two crewmen who had died aboard, as well as a fifth of her crew, out on medical leave.

-

Tessa had been snowed under in reports and meetings for the last two days. The infiltration of Gauron had raised serious issues within MITHRIL, especially in regards to the tech division, which made use of most of the Black Technology that the Whispereds gave MITHRIL. That some of them had been bought was fact, and it had management worried. Tessa found herself wondering if her situation was better or worse for knowing that her crew was once more all loyal, due to the three men with Gauron being killed. One by Kurz and Mao, one by her own hand and one by Souske and Kana. She, Kana and Souske took the credit for killing Gauron jointly, as it took all three of them to rid the world of that madman.

She hadn't realized that she had been staring at the same snack machine for ten minutes until she heard Souske ask her if she was all right. Looking at him, she felt her control slip, and next thing she knew, she was in his arms, bawling like a lost child. Souske was at a loss about how to `comfort' her. Kana had just smiled at him and told him he would figure it out before she turned and left him to deal with the Captain.

In her room, Kana finished packing her stuff, leaving only what she would need for the next day out. In her mind, she considered her choice. It's the right thing to do, for all of us. She thought to herself. Like Tessa said, you can't take the milk back out of the tea. Resonance was still a mystic art - even to MITHRIL and the rest of the Whispered. She and Tessa had discovered in the aftermath of the attack that they were stuck with a low-level Resonance effect that neither could shut down. When either of their concentration would slip, or when they were under extra pressure, the connection would deepen dramatically.

And right now, that connection was telling her she had somewhere to be.

-

Souske was holding Tessa in his arms as she slowly wound down from crying. His shirt was soaked, but he didn't notice. When she had all but collapsed against him in the hallway, his first and most immediate concern was to get her somewhere private before any of the crew or staff saw Captain Testarossa in her current condition. So, he chosen the most expedient solution and whisked her off to her room at their base.

He had managed to carry her to the room without being seen by anyone, and now, with the door locked, he was sitting on the edge of her modest bed, holding her comfortingly as she slowly stopped crying. Due to his `training' from Kyoko and Orin, he found himself somewhat comfortable with the situation, at least as far as having some clue as to how to handle it. Had this been six months ago, I would not have been capable of dealing with this. He thought fleeting, slowly stroking Tessa's back, sides and hair as she clung to his chest. I must thank Kyoko for her time and patience. He noted silently.

Eventually, Tessa was done crying, though she still rested her head against his chest. Souske kept gently caressing her back and sides. Tessa eventually broke the silence. “T…thanks, Souske.” She whispered, her voice catching just a bit. “I needed you. I mean, that!” Souske wondered about her quick correction.

“Kana said the same thing, actually.” He noted. Tessa felt her heart skip a beat. “I…was worried about you, Tessa.” He admitted.

“You were?” asked Tessa, leaning back from his chest, her eyes wide in surprise. He nodded. “Why?” she asked, absently wiping the last few tears away with the back of her hand.

“It is never easy to lose a teammate, and it is worse the first time it happens.” He said. “Believe me, I know.” He added softly. Tessa suddenly saw a worn photo of Souske with his old guerilla group. She knew instinctively that she was in Kana's mind. Resonance effect again. She thought.

Tell him. Came the voice of Kana in her mind. Tessa felt her heart rate kick up and her cheeks began to blush. Tell him, or I will! Came Kana's thoughts again. Tessa swallowed with some difficulty. That Kana meant it was not in doubt - the Resonance effect told her that.

“Souske?” she whispered, hiding her face against his chest again. Please don't answer! Please don't not answer! She begged silently, still not sure which reply she truly wished for. She could feel Kana's amusement through the link between them.

“Yes, Tessa?” came his reply. She took a deep breath.

“I'velikedyouforawhilenowandwantedtotellyou.” She said in a rush. The moments stretched as Souske broke the message down into coherent form.

“Ah, I have always held you in high regard, as well.” He managed. That's not what I meant to say! He thought, somewhat panicked. “I mean, I like you as well.” He tried again. Kyoko said to make sure that the message was clear when communicating with a girl. I believe that is clear. Tessa looked up at him, her cheeks crimson, but her lips fixed in a wide smile.

“Really?!” she breathed. He nodded.

“Affirmative, Tessa.” He confirmed. Tessa giggled. “Is something wrong, Tessa?” he asked her, puzzled by her laugh.

“No!” purred the platinum-haired girl. “I just like it when you call me `Tessa'.” She explained. Souske considered that.

“I…see.” He replied, unsure of what to say. When did she become `Tessa' and not `Captain Testarossa'? he wondered. Probably shortly after you discovered that girls are complex. Came a mocking voice from that part of his mind that had come into being when Kyoko had begun his training; it had been getting stronger and louder ever since.

His musing was cut short by a soft pair of lips on his own. Dumping his thoughts for the moment, he instinctively returned the kiss. While clumsy, it was clear that Tessa was trying her best to seem calm and in control. With experience on his side, Souske was able to cover for her lack of experience, though he was surprised to find her tongue slipping into his mouth.

“Mmm.” Hummed Tessa breaking the kiss a bit breathlessly. Instinctively, Souske touched her cheek with his fingers. Closing her eyes, she leaned her cheek into his touch happily. Her skin is so soft! He marveled. Hormones on both sides were seizing control of the two. Reacting to the instructions from his libido, he leaned into her for another kiss, his tongue easing past her lips as he sought her own member out.

Understanding that Souske was more experienced, the young woman let him take the lead, her hands coming up to circle his neck as she pushed herself against him, forcing him to lay back on her bed. Souske's hand slid down to hold her chest firmly just under her arms as the two frantically made out. As their mutual passion increased, Souske's hands began to work on Tessa's uniform jacket, swiftly getting it unfastened.

To Tessa's great irritation, removal of the impeding clothing necessitated her breaking the kiss and straightening to straddle his thighs. Impatiently, she struggled to get the jacket off, and - with a burst of inspiration - her blouse as well, flinging the clothes to the floor of her room. Souske drank in the sight of her lacy, racy bra containing her breasts. Her skin was clear, soft and supple, with no tan lines anywhere. Behind the thin cover, he saw that her pale pink nipples were darkening a bit as they hardened and swelled with blood. That discovery caused a swelling in him as well.

Sitting up, he expertly unfastened her bra, dropping it carelessly as he assaulted her modest but shapely breasts. Gentle bites and light suction on her achingly sensitive nipples made her moan in arousal, her fingers intertwined in his hair, holding him to her breasts as he alternated his attentions from one to the other, one hand tweaking, rolling and kneading the breast not being attacked by his lips, tongue and teeth. His free hand was around her waist, resting on her spine, right above her buttocks to steady her as she writhed in pleasure.

Tessa felt her panties dampen rapidly as Souske continued to shower her breasts with attention. In all her life, she had never felt this hot or aroused. Whimpering, she struggled to unzip her skirt - the better to quench the burning need she felt in her pussy. Struggling with the tiny zipper tab and the awkward position, she was ready to scream in frustration when she felt Souske shift and roll them over, laying her on her back on her bed. Shifting back up to her lips for a moment, he claimed another long, wet kiss.

“Allow me, Tessa.” He panted, pulling her hands up over her head before easing down a bit to tug her skirt's zipper down and drag it over her hips and off her shapely calves to land on the floor with her uniform jacket, blouse and bra. Pausing, he examined her panties in appreciation. She wears this under her uniform? He wondered in awe.

Her panties were lace and cotton, with a low cut and narrow front, and like her bra, it was a light grey color with a single, tiny pink bow. Looking at her covered sex, he could see that she was already hot and horny, judging from the wet patch that was slowly but steadily growing there. “Beautiful.” He murmured.

“I wanted you to see these.” Confessed Tessa, her voice a bit rough. A soft groan slipped from her mouth as Souske stroked her thighs, moving up toward her groin. “Souske,” she whined needfully, “please, be gentle.” He looked up at her, seeing her hot gaze.

“Roger that.” He replied automatically, touching her thinly-covered sex for the first time. Tessa trembled at his touch, suffering her first non-self-inflicted orgasm. And while it was tiny, it was just a taste of things to come. All Tessa could think of was the heat and wetness between her legs, and her need to be with Souske. After a brief period that felt like years to him, he hooked his fingers into her panties and drew them down her legs, Tessa lifting her hips to help him remove her last garment.

Souske found another marvel when he looked at her bare sex. “Natural.” He breathed in reverence at the sight of the bright platinum of her small bush. It was trimmed and neat, and as bright as the hair on her head. Kyoko's had been black as opposed to her dark brown hair color, and Kana's hair was a deep bluish that was nearly black. He had no idea what Mizuki's or Orin's lower hair color was - both shaved theirs.

Not bothering to resist, he leaned forward, parting her legs with steady pressure, to kiss her wet lips. Tessa mewed as she shivered in excitement. She had heard of this, of course; Melissa was not a shy person, and was prone to telling Tessa of her sexual escapades when lit. But she had never thought that she would experience it without first having to give the man a blowjob. That thought pushed its way into her mind. “S…Souske,” she panted. “do you want me to give you a…blow job first?” she managed.

“Hum?” he replied, busy with her sex. Not really caring about anything other than her sex at the moment, he returned his attention to her dripping sex when she couldn't repeat the question. Another thing I need to thank Kyoko for. His rational mind - not being hog-tied and gagged this time around - noted. No, this time, his rational mind knew not to bother trying to stop his libido from taking over, and had therefore avoided being tied up, gagged and stuffed back in the mental closet again.

“Souske!” shrieked Tessa, succumbing to a major orgasm. It was the largest one she had had in her life, and it left her panting and seeing spots before her eyes. When she could talk again, she looked at her soon-to-be lover hungrily. “More.” She begged. “I want you in me.” She demanded, raising her knees and spreading her sex wider for him in a wanton display meant to knock all thought but fucking her from his mind. It worked.

Swiftly, Souske leapt off her bed and began to strip off his clothes, having some not-inconsiderable trouble with his pants and boxers, as they were almost nailed on by the rampant erection he was sporting. Cursing, he managed to get himself naked at last, and eagerly crawled back onto the bed and over the hot form of Tessa. As he settled into position, his tip settling against her welcoming entrance, one thought did manage to break through his lust-clouded mind, the voice of Kyoko breaking though with one word: protection.

“C-condom.” He groaned. Kyoko had stressed the importance of not getting a girl pregnant without deliberate agreement from her before hand. Tessa's mind was on fire, and she didn't like the delay in her promised joining with the object of her lust and desire. Whimpering, she felt him nearly jump off her and grab his pants, furiously rummaging in the pockets, cursing under his breath. “Damn it, where is it?!” he snarled in frustration.

“Here.” Said a familiar voice, followed by a foil pack being held out to him. Grabbing it, he swiftly put it on before diving back into bed with Tessa, who grabbed him and urged him on. “Thanks, Kana-chan.” He panted as he felt his tip settle in place. Wiping all thought of what he had just said from his consciousness, he locked gazes with Tessa and - when she nodded - pushed forward firmly, his sheathed member sinking into her a bit before he eased back and pushed forward again, the head of his member popping into her tight sheath this time. Both of them gasped.

“Gentle.” Begged Tessa, grabbing his shoulder from under his arms. Nodding, the young man eased forward a little before giving a single, short stab into her molten sex, popping her maidenhood as swiftly as possible. “Ah!” gasped Tessa, digging her nails into his shoulders as a sharp, but short, pain lanced through her sex. For several heartbeats, neither moved. Then, when he felt her begin to twitch her hips against him, Souske resumed his steady pace within her, swiftly reaching full penetration as her copious lubrication eased his entrance into her virgin sheath.

“Tessa-chan.” He groaned, enjoying the feeling of her super-tight sheath for a moment before beginning to thrust in her passage, wringing ever-building grunts, moans, gasps and shrieks from them. In what felt like hours but was really just minutes, Tessa suffered another orgasm. Souske wasn't that far behind her, the tightness of her vagina and the knowledge of who he was with short-circuiting his control. When she felt the condom swell within her, Tessa passed out in pleasure, a sense of smug accomplishment washing through her and Kana via the Resonance - which was currently at a level neither of them would have found comfortable if they weren't otherwise preoccupied.

Holding himself up by his elbows above the resting Tessa, Souske caught his breath for a bit before he carefully pulled out of his lover. Sitting back on his heels, he peeled the condom off and looked around for a trashcan. Seeing a hand appear over his shoulder to take the condom by the base, he returned his attention to Tessa, looking at her groin, where a small flood of pink-tinged fluid was seeping from her passage. Frowning, he considered rather or not he should have her checked.

“She's fine.” Came Kana's breathless voice from behind him. “She just had her hymen torn, that's all. It isn't anything to worry about.” Assured the girl. Souske nodded.

“I see. Thanks again, Kana-chan.” He replied, his mind still not clear. Almost a full minute went by before his words sank into his mind. “Kana?!” he gasped, trying to turn to see if she was really there or not. In doing so, he nearly fell off Tessa's bed.

When he had regained his balance, he saw a flushed Kaname Chidori standing at the lower side of the bed, her top pushed up around her collarbone, baring her tits and her shorts and panties around her ankles. One hand was stroking her pussy as the other massaged her breasts.

“I…this isn't…!” tried Souske. Kana shook her head, releasing her tit long enough to push her fingertip against his lips.

“Shut up, Souske.” She directed. “I know full well what this is; probably better than you do!” she said, her tone impatient and perhaps a bit angry as well. “But that doesn't matter right now!” she continued, her breathing deepening and growing faster as her fingers danced over, around and in her sex. “All that matters right now is that I need you!” she announced, throwing off her shirt and nearly tackling him onto Tessa's bed, the two landing tight against Tessa's unconscious form. God damn, do I need you! She silently added, sealing her lips to his.

The backlash from Resonating with Tessa had been far more powerful than she could have believed possible. It had felt like she was having sex with him, instead of just watching the two have sex. At times, she couldn't tell where Tessa left off and she began; not that that was necessarily a bad thing. Each orgasm that Tessa had had, she had had. Unlike Tessa, she was more comfortable with her sex, and had been regularly masturbating for the last few years. That gave her better control over herself. It was what had prompted her to take second string to the other girl - at least for this time.

Still, after experiencing the sex through the Resonance, she had no more control left. She wanted him and right damned now! Frantically, she worked Souske back into shape to fuck her. That shape, naturally, was erect. It didn't take long for him to get that way with a hot and stacked girl all over him. Kana leered at him as she felt his member - still slick with his cum and the spermacide from the condom - harden in her eager hands. Let's hear it for being young and healthy! She cheered his erection in her head. Bare minutes later, she was straddling his hips, guiding him into her passage.

“Condom?” managed Souske, gritting his teeth as his sensitive dick encountered her wet, hot entrance. Kana growled.

“I'm safe right now.” She grunted, feeling her virgin passage stretch to grant him entrance. With her ample lubrication, it wasn't hard to enter her, though she was every bit as tight as Tessa was. Even though she was a virgin, she had broken her hymen years before in sports and hadn't given it a thought. Now, she was glad she had broken it before. “B…big.” She muttered, shifting her legs a bit to drop herself lower.

“Tight.” Replied Souske, doing his best not to blow right then. If he hadn't of just cum in Tessa, he wouldn't have had a chance. “Good.” They both groaned together as her hips met his. Against her cervix, she felt his tip throbbing, stretching her to his size and shape. Smiling at him with lust-driven abandon, she had began to bounce a bit, the use of her sports-toned muscles making her sheath nearly painfully tight as she rode him. Souske instinctively cupped her breasts with his hands and teased her puffy nipples. Larger in chest and cup than any of his other lovers, he found them the perfect size for fondling. Her nipples were dark brown, and her aureoles were larger than Tessa's and Kyoko's, though not as large as Mizuki's and a noticeably smaller than Orin's were.

The thoughts of his other lovers was fleeting at best as Kana lunged down to kiss him again, moving her hips back and forth instead of up and down as she felt her his tonsils with her tongue. He wrestled with her oral member with his own, to both of their delight. Before he knew it, she was back upright and practically driving him into the bed, which shook and squeaked as Kana relieved her need.

“Cumming!” she groaned, holding her hips to his as she felt herself orgasm. As her pleasure washed her thoughts away, she felt his own member twitch and blast her passage full of his cum. Mentally picturing his cum entering her womb, Kana giggled as she rode her orgasm through to fall onto Souske's chest, where she regained her wind. As she rested, she felt the Resonance recede to more tolerable levels.

Feeling Souske's arms close around her naked form, holding her to his chest, she purred. “Mmm. That feels good, lover.” She said.

“Affirmative.” He breathed, feeling her toned, sleek body lying full length against his, his member slowly deflating in her passage. Next to him, he could feel the warmth of Tessa's young, naked body. “Kana-chan?” he said to her, feeling her breathing slow to near-sleep levels.

“Huh?” she asked, a bit groggily.

“I…I want to be with you. Tessa and…” he began, only to have her once more silence him with her finger tip.

“Tomorrow, lover. Tomorrow.” She slurred, her energy dropping as she yawned. “Talk about it tomorrow.” She said, kissing him. “Love you.” She said before closing her eyes in sleep.

“I…love you two as well.” Replied the young man, feeling his own eyes drooping. We will deal with this tomorrow. Soon enough for that tomorrow. He thought before dropping off to sleep.

For the first time in his life, he didn't sleep under a bed.

 

End

 

Epilogue - sort of:

 

“Plane leaves in twenty, guys! Where are you?” yelled Mao, searching for her subordinate and his charge. They hadn't been in their rooms, though `Angel's' belongings had been ready to go. The Sergeant Major hadn't found Souske or Kana, and the plane wouldn't wait. If they missed it, it would mean they would be here for another week before a plane to Tokyo would be leaving. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Tessa, either. She thought, changing her direction to make her way to Tessa's room.

One hallway short of the Captain's room, she saw Kana and Souske run around the corner, both dressed, though clearly they had just finished a shower moments before. Kana's hair was wet, and Souske's shirt and pants were water-spotted from where he hadn't dried off sufficiently. “Hey, guys!” called Mao.

“Can't talk now, Mao, got a plane to catch!” called Kana, running past her on her left as Souske ran past her on her right.

“Sergeant Major.” He called as he passed. Mao blinked.

“Ok, then.” She muttered. “Seen Tessa?” she called after them.

“In her room!” yelled Kana as she and Souske dodged around a corner. Shrugging, Mao made her way to Tessa's quarters. She sure is energetic for it being morning. Thought Melissa, remembering that Kaname suffered from low blood pressure in the morning. Probably to make up for her high blood pressure all day! Smirked the woman. And it is almost noon. Knocking on Tessa's door, she heard her friend call for her to wait a moment.

Two minutes later, the door opened, revealing a damp Tessa, a towel around her body and her hair down and loose. Melissa frowned. Souske and Kaname were wet from a shower, too. Could…? Nah. No way! She dismissed the thought as she stepped into the officer's room. Her eyes fell to the bed, which was a mess. Pillows, covers and sheets were strewn everywhere, and Tessa's uniform - usually carefully hung up - was crumpled by the bed.

“What's up, Melissa?” asked Tessa as she wiggled into a bra and panties. Melissa thought she saw the girl wince as she settled her panties, but dismissed it as her imagination. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the bruises left by Gauron on her sides and back.

“Nothing much. Just came looking for Souske and Kana to make sure they didn't miss their flight.” Explained Melissa, seeing Tessa step into a pair of shorts and reach for a simple - but nice - top. “Where's the fire?” she asked her boss, who was usually much more careful of her outfits.

“Gotta see them off.” Mumbled Tessa, her shirt over her head. Pulling her hair out from under it, she ran her fingers through it a time or two before shaking her head to settle it. Grabbing her holstered gun, she tucked it into her short's waistband and settled it before stepping into some shoes. “Coming?” she asked, heading for the door.

“No braids? No uniform?” asked Mao, surprised. Tessa shook her head, but paused to mist some perfume on her throat before opening the door for Mao. As she exited the room, she frowned, sniffing a little.

“What?” asked Tessa, sounding a bit defensive.

“Just thought I smelled sex in here.” Said Mao, sliding a glance at Tessa. The girl blushed a bit.

“Mao! Not everyone is like you!” she protested. Mao shrugged.

“True.” She allowed. “But I was hoping you had told him how you felt about him.” She countered. Tessa unexpectedly giggled.

“He knows.” She murmured. “Believe me, they both know.” Before Mao could even think of asking her about the issue, she heard the PA calling her to Kalinin's office. “Better go.” Said Tessa, waving to her as she jogged off to see her two friends off. Mao frowned when Tessa adroitly dodged a staff member who suddenly appeared in her path from a maintenance room. Since when isn't she a klutz? Wondered the older woman before dismissing it and trying to figure out what Kalinin would want to see her about.

-

“Ready to take off, Madam Captain.” Said the pilot over the cabin speakers. Tessa pressed a button on the comms box to let her speak to the pilot.

“Just a moment, please.” She said before stepping back to Souske and kissing him deeply. Releasing him, she stepped over to Kaname and hugged her tightly, her lips touching Kana's briefly.

“We'll be waiting for you in Tokyo.” Said Kana as she released her one-time rival and now closest confidante. Tessa smiled.

“I will see you there then.” She promised, looking forward to the two week visit to their school. “Be safe, you two.” She said, stepping to the door. In her mind, the link between her and Kana flared. You as well. We're in this together now, Tessa. Came Kana's voice.

True. But better together than alone, right, Kana? Tessa's voice entered Kaname's head. “Yes.” Said Kaname simply. Souske didn't have to ask about the two. As the door closed, the two looked out the small transport's windows as Tessa waved them off. Once they were at their flight altitude of fifty thousand feet, the two sat side by side, holding hands as they flew back to a world that seemed less real than the one they found themselves in now.

“Are you two going to be ok with the Resonance?” asked Souske, his tone a bit worried. Kana smiled.

“No one knows.” She said. “We've agreed to treat it like a major injury: we just have to learn to live with it.” She said simply. Looking at him, she smiled. “But I don't regret it - not one bit. And neither does Tessa-chan.” She assured him. Mollified, Souske sat back. With her free hand, Kana fished around in her bag before bringing up the deck of cards. “Want to play around a bit?” she asked, deliberately baiting him with innuendo.

-

“Sergeant Major Mao, reporting as ordered, sir!” sang out Melissa as she snapped a salute to the white-haired and bearded man before her. Kalinin looked up from a stack of reports on his desk. He had been delayed by two days getting back from the damaged cruiser, and had been catching up on paperwork. His workload was increased due to the necessary revelation of MITHRIL's existence to the United States Navy and the President; who would, no doubt, try to capitalize on this new information. But that wasn't why he had called her in this morning.

“Sergeant Major, I would like to hear your explanation for this.” He said, dropping a thin report in front of her. Picking it up, she read it over, her face growing a bit pale. Kalinin watched her carefully. “Had sergeant Sagara's reports not been so concise and had I not been so familiar with his methodology, I wouldn't have caught this. It is an excellent job of covering your tracks, sergeant major, but it is morally irresponsible and recklessly dangerous to do what you did. I would hear your side before deciding on your punishment.”

Mao thought fast. In her hands were the radio logs of her instructing Souske to get training from Kyoko, in addition to the daily reports from Souske - which obliquely mentioned his training. Caught. She thought. Even so, Mao wasn't a marine for nothing. “Sir! At the time and with the information currently available to me, I made the decision on the reasonably sure outcome of such training, sir!” she replied, boot-camp style.

“And it didn't occur to you that had this training come to the attention of Captain Testarossa or Kaname Chidori, it would have caused irreparable damage to both the mission and the stability of the principals involved?” he challenged her. Nice answer, but I need to know if you understood how much you risked with this stunt. He thought to himself.

Great! He's being difficult! Thought Mao. “Sir! The possible reward was greater than the possible risk! Sir!”

“When in doubt, attack.” Murmured Kalinin. “Typically marine.” He dismissed it. For the next several minutes, he was silent, staring at the woman before him, who was at ram-rod attention. When he figured that she had sweated it enough, he spoke again. “Sergeant Major.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” she bellowed.

“Personally, I am inclined to agree with you about the improvement that this has made in Souske's abilities, but we are left in a bit of mess due to your actions.” He offered her.

“Sir! As a mercenary outfit, we are paid for our results, not our means. Sir!” she replied. Come on! If you don't have a problem with the new Souske, then why the ass reaming? She wondered.

“Point.” Allowed Kalinin. “And yet, you are still answerable for your methods.” He cautioned her. Let's see how fast on your feet you are, Mao. He silently chuckled.

“Sir!” was all Mao said. Try to pin this on me, will you? Fine. You'll get Jarhead 101! When it was clear that Mao wasn't planning on offering any more explanations, Kalinin went on.

“I have decided to put this matter on hold, pending the involvement of Captain Testarossa.” He announced, sweeping the pages into a folder marked `TOP SECRET' and locking them into his safe. Mao almost frowned.

“Sir?” she wondered. Kalinin looked up at her.

“If Captain Testarossa, Sergeant Sagara or Miss Chidori become aware of this, you will be held accountable.” He said. “Until then, it never happened.” He said.

“Sir!” yelled Mao enthusiastically.

“Dismissed, Sergeant Major.” Said Kalinin, returning her salute. He waited for her to open the door before calling after her. “Oh, and Mao?”

“Sir?” she replied, turning to look at him. Outside the office, he saw a couple of people waiting to see him. Smiling at her, he nodded to her.

“Good job, Sergeant Major.”

 

End

 

Notes:

This story is complete - unless I happen to think up some addendum later. I have NO plans to continue it, as I did what I set out to do: get Souske with the girls. Hope you liked it, but don't really care if you didn't.