Nadesico Fan Fiction ❯ To Die or Not to Die ❯ Chapter 10

A/N: Sorry for this taking so long! >< Did you all like the last chapter? I kinda left it pretty, um, bad, ne? Oh well. In this chapter, we're going to try to get as much stuff in as possible. Granted, it's longer than usual, as I'm trying to fit in all of Episode 17 along with the ending of Episode 16. But I think we can do it! Oh yeah! Another thing that happens, beside all the things I listed in the last chapter (confused yet?), is that a certain Omoikane makes his first appearance… On with the show!

~*~

Akito pulled his face away, leaving his hands on the other pilot's. His brown eyes, having slid closed somewhere in the sudden burst of emotion, reopened, looking much more alive then they had five minutes ago. He took a deep breath, and just awaited a response.

Gai's own eyes slid open as well, however, he was much more breathless. "Akito… why did you do that? You've… you've probably made it worse for both of us…"

The Martian's hands fell silently into his lap. "I did it… because I wanted to." He moved his gaze into the darkened distance. "While you were, gone… I kissed Megumi. I didn't really know why I did it… But I realized that she wanted me to. God, I must sound like such a pushover. But I did that for her because she wanted me to do it. I didn't mean anything by it. But… I guess it didn't work that way. Maybe I really don't understand how people work. And I must be an idiot."

Gai's brows furrowed, and his hand tiptoed from its position on the side of the futon to Akito's shoulder. "You're not an idiot, Akito," he countered, elated that he could finally stop suppressing any urge to just cuddle the Martian that sat next to him. However, he didn't, wanted to hear the rest of his tale.

"Yes I am!" cried Akito, slouching over, and resting his forehead on the heels of his hands. "I am… I tried to do the same thing for Yurika, when we were near the Bering Straits. I didn't realize until later, that, they took it seriously. They actually thought I cared for them more than a friendly way. Because they thought of me that way… my letting them take affection from me made them think I believed the same." He took another deep breath. He had never said any of this to anyone. "But… I don't love anyone right now. Gai, I kissed you because I wanted to. I wanted to. You didn't want, or even need me to. I did it for myself. Sure, Yurika's pretty, Megumi's cute, and Ryoko may have a perfect personality, but they're just friends. You're my best friend."

Gai looked down. 'Apparently, even though he practically said, 'Sure, Gai, I love you too,' he doesn't love anyone. Not even me. Damn my luck.' "You never really answered me though… why did you do it?"

Akito's head pulled back up. "I feel a sort of an attraction to each of them, even though Yurika's annoying, Megumi's pushy, and Ryoko seems to have other interests. I… I think I have an attraction to you as well, Gai." Gai blinked, but kept quiet. "I don't know who I love, who I want to be with permanently, you know? Does this make any sense?"

Gai nodded. "A little. I do love you though Akito. I won't rub it in your face, but I've let you know. That's all I really need." 'Bullshit, Daigohji. You're lying to yourself.'

Akito smiled a bit. "That's all I ever wanted to hear from anyone." He glanced at the Earthling pilot again. "I think that's what did me in for you, ne? You're honest, you let me have my space…" He smiled. 'Oh, devious plan cooking. I've had a test-run with everyone else, sort of, at least… I could attempt to go in this direction, couldn't I?'

Gai didn't quite catch it. "What're you getting at?" Akito grinned and slapped him on the arm. "Baka. I'm making a proposal!"

Gai giggled. "Already? Oh, Akito, you shouldn't have…"

Akito hit him again. "Baka! Shut up already, ne? I was going to say… While I don't know if I like you best, I am attracted to you… so, how about we try something out? Is that okay?"

Gai's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "'Is that okay?'? 'Is that okay?'!? Of course it's okay!" Gai jumped off the futon and started dancing around the room, chanting something that sounded like, "Akitolikesme, Akitolikesme".

Akito was rolling with laughter once again. It was as if the message about the Jovians was never relayed.

~*~

The next day, on the Nadesico, it was back to business as usual. Many people were still upset about the new revelations, however, and went to speak with the resident psychiatrist, Inez, about their problems. Not many of them had much to do with the idea of fighting humans, however. One thing lead to another, and the next thing you know, everyone's in a long line to go speak to the good doctor.

And, also on the other hand, this was later on in the day. At the time of the unpopular (at least, it was unpopular on the Nadesico) meal of breakfast, there were very few people in the cafeteria.

Who actually was in there was the Admiral, How Mei, the How Mei girls (of course), Akito, and Gai. Gai sat there, stirring his cereal, with his head propped up on a hand, staring off into space. Smiling slightly as well.

And so he continued to sit as Itsuki came into the room, looking a bit more bedraggled than she usually presented herself. She yawned, covering her mouth delicately with a hand filled with a hairbrush, and made her way to the table Gai sat at. Pulling the utensil through her hair, she grunted a groggy "Ohayo, Jiro," before sitting down. He didn't even register her entrance. Rubbing her eyes, she noticed this lack, and repeated, a little louder, "Ohayo, Jiro." No response. Just a distant look and a slight smile. It was really creeping Itsuki out, and that took a lot.

She waved a hand in front of his eyes. "Yoo-hoo…" Nothing. Getting fed-up, she pushed the elbow that held up the hand supporting his head away, making him take a nosedive into his cereal.

That got his attention. He came back up, sputtering and wiping milk from his face. Anger flashed in his eyes. "What the hell did you do that for?!"

The little prank woke up Itsuki to her full. "To get your attention." She made her little indecent smile as Gai glared at her. She slapped her hands on the table and met her brown eyes with his gray. A minute passed with the intense glares before Itsuki cut the near-silence with a single word, "Talk."

Gai blinked. "Eh? Whaddya mean, talk?" He had a pretty good idea what she meant; it's just that he didn't really want to spill the beans. Any distractions would be helpful.

Itsuki glared some more before grabbing his ear and twisting it. Through his squelches of pain and his pounding of the table, she explained, quite calmly, "You're sitting here, staring off into space, grinning your ass off. Something happened last night. Something that, and I believe I'm right, had to do with the Martian cook. Now speak, dammit!" She let go and allowed Gai to rub life back into his ear.

Gai glared at her again, though his was not a piercing as hers. He felt like she was digging into his spirit, like she already knew what happened, she was just humoring herself. "Well, we talked."

The violet-haired pilot blinked a couple times. "'We talked'? 'We talked'?! That's it? No confessions, no violence, no making out, nothing? Just… 'We talked'?"

Gai looked to the floor. "Well… I kinda… told him…" Itsuki's eyes lit up. "Oh really? And his response?"

He glared at her again, somehow finding the confidence to do so. "Why are you so interested into my love life anyway?" Itsuki shrugged. "Because mine is in the shitter. Talk, you."

'Ah, another diversion for me to take advantage of…' "Why is yours in the shitter?" asked Gai.

Itsuki's gaze didn't falter a bit. "Because I've made Ryoko hate me. Don't change the subject. What did he say?"

A voice came from the kitchen. "Stop harrying my boyfriend about me, dammit!" Itsuki had to laugh at that. Suddenly, you could hear the steel shoes of the How Mei girls running to attack Akito, demanding explanations. Voices as well, but How Mei wasn't in on the assault of questions. She just stood there, a knowing look on her face as she continued to busy herself with cooking the unpopular meal.

"Akito! Why did you tell me that you were that way?" "Akito, Yurika's going to be pissed!" "Wow, Akito, you finally found someone you actually like?" "It had best not be Akatsuki!" "Who is it, Akito?"

Gai just sat there, his face getting redder by the minute. Itsuki continued to laugh while heading to the counter. "Hey, girls. Why don't you come out here and see him in the first lace, if you're all so curious!" She smiled as Gai tried to hide under the table. "Be careful though, he's really really shy and already about to burst a blood vessel with his blushing." She was grinning her head off as one by one the How Mei girls scanned the room with their eyes.

"Where is he?"

"In my own personal hell," was the muffled response. The girls giggled as they realized it was the pilot who first came to the Nadesico. Itsuki, on the other hand, was now grinning for another reason.

'Hm, I don't think I've seen a better set of women that could be called the best of friends… If I'm unsuccessful with Ryoko I might decide to suppress any urges of mine with them.' Her grin went to her usual indecent one. She went back to the table, which Gai was peeking out from under, and grabbed her hairbrush. She kicked the table. "Out, Jiro. They're not staring any more." He slowly sat back on the little bench, and Itsuki giggled again. "See you later, Jiro." She walked towards one of the doors, but it opened long before it should have.

Because the other female pilots were coming to breakfast now too. Hikaru skipped past the violet-haired pilot to claim a table, a talent she had that was useful during lunch and dinner. Izumi noticed the look on Itsuki's face, the regretful shock that could only mean one thing. That one thing was that Ryoko and Itsuki needed to talk. She smirked and walked past her, leaving the tomboy pilot with the tactician.

Ryoko gulped. "Um… hello, Itsuki…" 'Dammit! Why can't I say anything to her?!'

Itsuki's expression went all business. "Ohayo, Subaru-san." She glided past her as if she knew her as nothing more than an acquaintance.

Ryoko watched her go. Her dark eyebrows were knit together when she came to sit at the table Hikaru had picked, not realizing there were other people in the room.

"What did you say to her that makes her think you hate her?" Ryoko blinked, and then realized the question came from the one pilot she didn't know on the Nadesico. The one that Itsuki seemed to have a past with, Gai Daigohji.

"W… What?" She was a bit taken aback. Someone she didn't know was in on her matters, and she didn't really like that.

Gray met blue. "She told me she's pretty sure you hate her. My question is where did that notion come from?" His expression wasn't hard, but more confused. As if he knew that the violet-haired pilot was wrong, but wanted to get all the information first.

Ryoko glared at him. "Since when was it your business?!" She really didn't like the fact that he was one up on her.

Hikaru adjusted her glasses. She glanced at Izumi next to her. The taller pilot's eyes screamed, "Let's get out of this. Food, now." The redhead nodded, and the two got up and went to the counter, leaving Ryoko glaring across the room at Gai.

He got up and sat across from her, in Hikaru's old spot. "It's been my business since I was three. Itsuki isn't easily hurt. Especially from her 'targets', the handpicked girls she tries to win for whatever reason she has. But obviously something has gone wrong with her seduction. What happened?" Ryoko had to hand it to him, he knew more than he let on. But he still continued to have the air of someone who just was caring, worried in a way.

The green-haired pilot sighed. "She was really pissing me off. But I thought she was just fucking around, ya know? But she told she was really, sincerely flirting with me. But I didn't know how to respond…"

Gai nodded. "Gotcha. I know why she's all weirded out now." One black eyebrow rose a bit on Ryoko's face, but she said nothing. "You didn't have the usual answer of most of her prey. She's used to them feeling uneasy, not retaliating in anger, which you did. That intrigued her, but confused her too. So she apparently thought you hate her, in which case she's going to retreat and regroup until she figures out what to do."

As much as this made sense, Ryoko just couldn't help but wonder why this person she didn't know could come up with all of that with a just a few statements from her. 'Sure, he obviously knows more about Itsuki than anyone else, but still…' "Um… thanks, Daigohji-san…"

Hikaru and Izumi came back at that moment. Hikaru over heard the name. She plopped on the bench right next to Gai.

"You're that pilot that Akito said owned the entire Gekiganger series! Oh my gosh, I never thought I would get to meet you!" She grabbed his hand, which was resting on the table, and shook it vigorously. "I'm Amano Hikaru, a doujinshi artist! I've created around five whole doujinshi series, which I was going to show at Kosumike 3, but I get drafted to come here… But that's okay!" She smiled warmly.

Gai shook his head. "I don't really like Gekiganger that much anymore…" He felt really bad about disappointing the girl, but she didn't seem that upset.

Her eyes widened. "Why not?" Gai looked left and right. He knew Akito hadn't seen the end yet, and he didn't want to spoil it for him. "Got a problem with spoilers?" Hikaru shook her head and offered her ear. Gai covered his mouth and whispered into her ear the ending for the series.

Her red eyebrows shot up during his talking to her. Izumi just sat and watched, Ryoko looking confused, Hikaru looking shocked, and Akito coming out of the kitchen looking like he was going to kill someone. She could only snicker at the entire scene. It needed no pun or joke to make it hilarious. It was perfect by itself. But she couldn't resist. "Sometimes, even the cow can make the bull cower in fear." She burst out laughing and starting hitting the table. Ryoko was ready to hit her, but then realized what she meant. Akito was storming over.

Ryoko looked Gai in the eye as he realized the deep crap he was in. "I'd run if I were you." But he didn't. He just eeped and tried to hide under the table again.

Akito stopped at the side of the table and glared at the top of the taller, but younger pilot's head. "What do you think you're doing?" A squeaky response, "I was just telling her the ending of Gekiganger!" came out from under the table. Hikaru grinned.

"No need to get jealous, Akito!" She smiled at him. Akito was stunned. "What… Huh... How the hell…" Hikaru giggled.

"The doujinshi I write, you know, are yaoi books." Izumi nodded with a look of long suffering. Ryoko sighed. The two other female pilots knew this, far too well. The redhead continued, though. "I'm able to spot something between people very easily." Her expression darkened a bit, still staring into Akito's eyes. The wordless message to him was clear. 'Whether the relationship I perceive is bad or good, that is.' Akito's eyes squinted, as if seeing another part of Hikaru that was much more experienced, more wise then was let perceivable. His message back, 'Megumi? Yurika?' Hikaru nodded, her gaze kept balanced, leaving him with her last thought. 'Others as well. Not just the pain of triangles.' She got up and skipped out to the counter to pick up the three pilots' food. Gai, remember his soggy breakfast, got up to throw it away, that is, after he climbed out from under the table. He continued to talk to Ryoko as Akito grabbed a chair from the other side of the room to pull up to their table.

"I'm guessing your next question is 'What should I do?' right?" Ryoko nodded. Izumi closed her visible eye, and answered for Gai, "Make the message clear: 'I am interested, not angry.'" The three other pilots looked at the poetic girl as Hikaru came back. The redhead hadn't even blinked. Out of the three best friends, Izumi was always her best best friend. Ryoko just couldn't understand being put out because of a tendency of yours. Sure, Ryoko was ostracized for being a tomboy, but Hikaru was otaku, and Izumi liked to make stupid jokes about life to help her learn her two nationality's languages: English and Japanese. The three's loneliness brought them together. Hikaru understood Izumi more than Ryoko did.

Gai nodded slowly, a little afraid of the quiet and smart, but rather strange pilot. "Yeah… what she said. Let her know you're not upset anymore, but you're interested." He was also surprised that Izumi knew that. 'Maybe she knows more about life than she lets on… Hell, we know I don't know shit about life's mysteries. I just know the girl in question like the back of my hand.'

Ryoko considered this statement from her best friend. Before she could really say anything, though, there was a cough from the other side of the room. All five pilots looked up from their conversation to realize Admiral Munetake had been in there, the entire time. Three out of five shrugged, another had no response, but Gai glared at the Admiral's retreating back as he left the cafeteria.

His eyebrows gathered. "How long has he been here?" Akito looked concerned. "He was here before you got here." The two male pilots knew that that had a double meaning. Yes, Munetake had been in the CAFETERIA longer than Gai had, but he was also on the NADESICO before Gai came back. Gai looked utterly confused.

"I thought they court-martialed him!" Akito sighed. "No, Gai-chan. They didn't. He swears up and down that it was someone else."

Gai growled softly. 'Someone else, my ass.' He got up from the bench, pulled the Martian into an embrace, and kissed him on the cheek. Hikaru squealed, "That's so cute!" Akito blushed a bit, but Gai was whispering something in his ear.

"Admiral or no, he's going to get it." Just as sudden as it had come, Gai let go and was walking a bit stiffly out of the room. Akito glared at the doorway before calling, "If you get yourself thrown off the ship, I'm not going to help you!"

~*~

Admiral Munetake had a very big problem with being on the Nadesico. This very big problem was how many stupid people were controlling the ship. The whole scene with the pilots back in the cafeteria confirmed it just that much more. Hopefully, with his scheduled meeting with the chief commander, he might get promoted and be able to get off this retarded ship. However, something made him stop in the hallway.

That something was one of those idiot pilots running up and getting in his way.

"Do you mind! I have a very important meeting and I can't be late!" The pilot didn't get out of his way, instead, kept getting in his way, and attempting to block him.

"What the hell are you doing here, Haircut-boy?!" The entire scene seemed so familiar, but so strange at the same time.

"Baka! Don't you know- Oh. You're one of the newer recruits, aren't you? Fine. I'm the UE representative on the godforsaken boat and you will address me as Admiral Munetake!" Finally he got past the stupid pilot. He was very irritable in the mornings. Mostly all day, in fact, he had to admit. But it was having to deal with all these stupid people that made him that way. Yes, that was it.

As the Admiral walked off, Gai glared holes into his back. 'The bastard. Thinks he can just walk off, does he? I'll get him back sooner or later.' Turning around, he made way back to his and Akito's room.

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude)

Hikaru was the only one of the four female pilots that went back to her dorm room. Izumi had gone to figure out what this whole "Crisis Counseling" thing was, and Ryoko had followed, because she had some more Itsuki issues to talk to someone about. Itsuki had, apparently, gone to talk about her Ryoko troubles. Hikaru was sick and tired of the two and wished they would just shut up and hook up.

Hikaru herself considered going to the counseling, but decided against it. If it was one thing she hated, it was others watching her cry. And if she talked about her problem, the one thing that she hated about her life, she was definitely going to do just that.

She climbed up into her top bunk and gathered her drawing supplies from the shelf by her pillow. She pulled off each shoe and threw them on opposite sides of the room, her usual ritual so she could dance around the room when she had to leave again. It was just something she liked to do. Much like her drawing.

She flipped through her current doujinshi to find the next blank page. She was in just the right mood to continue this scene. Very melancholy. One wouldn't be able to tell, but she was pretty depressed.

Why was a very good question. Her hand tightened around her pencil as it glided across the paper, outlining the face of her favorite pilot, Jyou, from Gekiganger. She now knew how Gekiganger ended. She knew what about the series that the pilot called Gai hated about it, that turned him away from it. She had to admit, even she, nothing more than a doujinshi artist and fanfiction writer, could write a much better ending. But even if it did end badly, she would not turn away from it.

Her hand made it's way across the page, making the drawing look so easy, but very experienced, as she made his hair the way she imagined it. Not the way it should be, but the way she, no one else, interpreted it. 'That's what's great about anime. No matter how it ends, there are a million universes that could make it different. They all exist in your head and make it even more alive. That creativity that binds it to its fans… that's what I truly love. It gives me something to hold onto.' Her eyebrows knit together as she drew his eyes. Eyes were usually her downfall, but if she was feeling right, she could do them to reflect the mood perfectly. Even so, she still wasn't a very famous writer, or artist, for that matter.

'I pretend I am, but nobody likes the way I do things.' Hikaru felt her eyes well up, but she blinked it back as she forced herself to continue drawing. 'I don't do this for them, anyway. I do it for me. Because I like it.' Many things she liked weren't understood. Her drawing was one of them. Dancing to music in her head was another. Writing was her favorite. 'I may be able to draw, and do it often, but there's nothing more satisfying than finishing a story.' Her hand continued to draw, almost at its own accord as she continued to think to herself. 'That's why I love being a mangaka. I can do both, without feeling bad.' She sighed. 'But I feel bad anyway. No one will read these. No one will enjoy these. No one, but myself.' She drew a speech bubble. 'There isn't another person here that will truly understand me. Not for who I really am. The stupid, silly girl that fantasizes about things that would never happen, that draws and writes dumb stories of romance that she wishes she had herself, that just wants someone to understand her…' Unintentionally, in the speech bubble, she had written, in her clumsy English, "Please try to understand, I want nothing more." Seeing what she had done, a sob dragged through her body, making her that much more shaky. She gathered the paper into her fist and threw it across the room, towards the already full wastebasket. It bounced to the floor. She yanked off her glasses before her eyes spilt over, and covered them.

And so, she wept.

~*~

(Inez Interlude, or Izumi Interlude)

Yurika walked up to Inez. The blond was just finishing listening to Izumi talk about how she's sick and tired of hearing Ryoko whine about Itsuki, hearing Itsuki ask everything about Ryoko, trying to get Hikaru to actually voice her true thoughts, all the while dealing with her own angst. The Martian doctor turned towards the Martian captain. "Yes, Captain?" Her tone was slightly amused, but was questioning as well.

"Has Akito come to see you yet?" Inez saw that coming. 'Akito again. No wonder Erina's always complaining about her obsession with that cook. She really does love her. I could never satisfy my little secretary, could I?'

"No, he hasn't." She smiled a bit as Izumi smirked a bit, catching her blue eyes with her red ones. 'Of course he hasn't, Miss Frassange. He's with Gai Daigohji. Tell her! Maybe she'll get it…' Inez nodded slightly to Izumi. "But neither has Yamada Jiro…" Laughter danced in the expressions of the pilot and the doctor. Yurika didn't understand whatever joke it was that they had, but she ran off to go to his room, the only place he could be if he was with the person he called his best friend.

Izumi actually let out her laugh as the blue-haired captain ran away. "I hope they aren't doing anything right now!" Inez chuckled. "Oh, I could imagine her face…" Inez smiled a bit hungrily, as if she really wanted to see the reaction. But she looked back at the blue-haired pilot. "Is that all?"

Izumi nodded, standing up. "Although…" Red met blue again. "You should hide it more." Inez was stunned. "How did you…" Izumi smirked. "It's so much easier when you know another lesbian. You, Itsuki… and a portion of me." A knowing look passed between them, then Izumi left in a quick movement. Gone, as if she wasn't there at all.

Inez blinked. Then made a little note on her paper about the silent pilot with the name of Maki Izumi. "While distressed with the relations of her friends, she's more open to love and sex than one who had lost two fiancées would normally be. With her somewhat newfound openness, she has decided that she is now bisexual. Possible attraction to pilot Amano Hikaru. Possible. Perhaps not. More research required."

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude)

It had taken her ten minutes to recuperate from her crying fit. Her upbeat otaku mask back in place, she went to go check on her Aesti. She often went to speak with it when she was feeling down. The smooth metal reflected her appearance, making her look within herself for answers. 'My Aesti is better than any psychiatrist.' She fondly petted the robot. 'A man-made friend stands by my side in battle. Feel my hardship, dear guardian. Together we may kill, but together we will triumph.' She watched a small smile play her lips as she recited the poem she wrote when she was still a greenhorn at controlling the metal monster, the creature she commanded to do her bidding on her enemies. "To use their bodies to create beauty. Ah, the tragic wonder of the useful weapons. The weapons that take my enemy's life, but preserve my own. Ah, the elegance of the dance, the dance of the fallen. To destroy the dead, to end their torment. That is our purpose on this planet. Only this, and nothing more. Precious friend, take me," whispered she, the ending of her hurtful poem. Her wide eyes behind her spectacles slid closed, as she willed herself to not weep again. 'Not today at least.'

A voice interrupted her depressive thoughts. "God dammit! Why can't this arm go back into the slot?!" It sounded like the head mechanic, Uribatake Seiya. Intrigued, Hikaru tiptoed over to find out what the ruckus was all about.

She just had to giggle at the sight. A full-grown man, fighting with the arm of an Aestivalis model. Apparently, it wouldn't go into its little hole, the little path that was supposed to hold it on. She decided to raise her voice. "Need some help?"

The mechanic jumped, then, realizing it was Hikaru, relaxed a bit. "I don't think you can do it, it's not like usual models." He was well aware that the girl in question was otaku, and many otaku built models.

Hikaru skipped over, feeling a bit better than before. "Try me." Uribatake shrugged and handed the smaller robot to her and then the arm. Hikaru sized up the opening, then the arm itself, skillfully; taking note of exactly what angle would work best, before snapping the two pieces in perfectly. She handed it back.

Uribatake was appalled. "You seem to have a knack for custom-made models." Hikaru shrugged and smiled. "Maybe I'm just good with my hands." The response got a laugh out of the mechanic. Hikaru's smile grew to a grin.

Uribatake picked up his paintbrush and brushed a few more strokes of the gray paint on the model before he asked Hikaru, "Say, you want to help me with this diorama? An extra set of hands certainly wouldn't hurt." Hikaru's eyes lit up. "Could I? Really? Thank you, Uri-P!"

A puzzled look from the mechanic. "'Uri-P'?" Hikaru giggled. "Yup, I usually have nicknames for everybody I know." She brightened up even more as she came and checked out the scene he was creating. It looked a lot like Kursk, which they had to march through most of. "Y'know… There's no way in hell an Aesti could get into that building." She pointed it out. "I know you probably built the building around it, but you need to get a hole in the ceiling or one of the walls so it looks more realistic." Uribatake studied the area she pointed out. "Hmmm… I guess it's really best to have a creative extra set of hands as well." The two laughed at his stupid joke and got set to work.

~*~

Akito had just got into his room when the door opened again, with Gai coming in this time. He stopped though, and turned right back around, going out into the hallway. Akito grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back in. "God, Gai, you'd think you couldn't stand to be in the same room as me anymore!"

Gai gulped. "Well, Akito, I still can't believe you can stand to be in the same room as me!" Akito just shook his head.

"Shut up and kiss me, baka." Akito wrapped his arms around Gai's neck and pulled himself on his tiptoes, as Gai was six inches taller than him. Gai grinned. "Your baka!" exclaimed he before kissing him, his own arms wrapping around his waist. Akito, being a bit more experienced in this area, though not by much, took over, his hands threading through the taller pilot's hair. He was just about to make this go a bit too far, tempting Gai to open his mouth when Gai pulled away, kissing only his cheek. Akito's eyes, which he didn't realized were closed, reopened. "Why did you do that…" His tone wasn't angry, just a little distressed.

Gai just hugged Akito as tight as he could. "I'm not really ready for this whole thing, you know?" Akito smiled and nodded. 'I have to remember that I am his first relationship… and he's pretty much my first serious one too. That's okay. I can wait. Really. Or… end up getting something like that elsewhere. I keep forgetting that I'm just experimenting. Experimenting. Yes, that's all.'

They pulled apart, and just in time. Yurika just barged into room that exact second. "Akito! You have to come with me to investigate Uribatake-san and his embezzlement issue!"

Akito sighed. 'I was just getting somewhere too…' He shot a suffering, apologetic look to Gai. Gai looked suffering as well, but nodded in understanding. Akito smiled a bit at him. 'He really is head over heels over me. God damn, I don't want to hurt him…' Akito sighed mentally. 'But I may end up having to.' He felt himself be dragged away.

Gai watched them go. 'So, that's how it'll end, eh? The fucking Captain will take him from me.' The Earthling pilot growled under his breath. 'Over my dead body.'

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude)

They were just finishing up the Kursk diorama when Akito and Yurika showed up. Hikaru felt a little bad about them coming and interrupting their fun, but she wasn't too upset. Besides, they probably had business to deal with at least one of them. Most likely Uribatake, since he showed her all his current projects, which seemed very expensive.

One of these projects, she learned, was a cyborg robot boy, very near completion, which would serve as Omoikane. He told her it was so the UE wouldn't be able to attack his consciousness again, but she had teased him about doing something for Ruri. Another of these projects was a scale model of the Nadesico itself, with perfect models of all the crew as well. She loved this one, seeing herself with her drawing tools, looking happy. It made her smile. But it was the final project that was of interest of the captain.

Akito practically drooled over the diorama. "It's so real!" he nearly squealed. Hikaru giggled. "I know! That's why Uri-P has been teaching me the methods of customizing hand-made models!"

Akito and Uri-P started talking about what scale it was, what certain way to make something look one way or another. Hikaru tried to pay attention, but her mind kept returning to the captain, who was looking at the models of herself and Ruri. Hikaru had thought it was amusing how Uri-P had given Ruri a bigger bust than Yurika, but it was even more hilarious as the captain realized this as well. Trying to keep herself from laughing, she inquired her, "Did you need to see us, Captain?"

Yurika's green eyes were blank for a moment, then they shone with realization. "Oh! That's right!" Setting down the two models, she stiffened herself. "Uribatake-san. Is this what you've been doing with all the money you embezzled?" Uri-P squeaked, surprised that the Captain knew about that. She continued, however, "Somehow, I don't think 'Eh?' is going to a response that accounting will accept!" Another squeak. "I demand to know where all this money's been going!"

Uribatake sighed. Hikaru knew instantly what he was going to do. While it was a large majority of the money, he's new Aestivalis frame was not all of it. But it might seem like it to the Captain, so Hikaru figured he would show her the giant weapon, rather than the "body" for Omoikane.

And the redhead was correct. She wasn't as awed the second time, but Akito and Yurika sure were, and Uri-P was very proud of himself. Though… Hikaru was surprised he mentioned the problems with it to the two Martians. The redhead noticed a bit of movement by the door, the only real source of light. "It's perfect!" yelled the figure.

The figure was, obviously, Admiral Munetake. "I want this weapon finished! This will definitely secure my position!" Uribatake was appalled.

"You're going to use my X-tavlis to secure your position in the pecking order!?" Hikaru could tell he was upset. She would be too. That is, if someone used her work to pull themselves out of their hole. It would be her work, and they would get credit. She couldn't help but be a little angry at the Admiral.

"Of course I am! I'll do anything to keep my place and anything that gets in my why will be crushed!" Akito gasped a bit. Hikaru didn't quite catch what that statement meant to Akito until much later.

'He… Gai was right! It was him! Admiral Munetake was the attacker and he got away with it!' A newfound hatred seeped through the Martian's veins. His brown eyes glared daggers through the Admiral's body, and he growled softly. Hikaru noticed all this, and wondered just what it was that angered the Martian, the one of that heritage she called her friend, in such a way.

~*~

Akito had rushed back to his and his current relationship's room immediately after Yurika had left the hangar bay to report to the Nergal officials. He had some things to talk about.

He ran into his room, barely remembering to even open the door, and yelled, "Gai! It was him! You were right!!!" Gai looked up from his anime magazine and smiled when he realized his boyfriend was back, but frowned when the statement left the cook's lips.

He sighed. "I figured. Stupid loyalties between rivals. Sticking up each other…" He looked down. "I somehow knew it was him. Even when it happened. I don't know why I couldn't do anything about it…"

"But you can definitely do something now." Gai looked up and stared him in the face. "What?"

Akito smiled. "He's very close to losing his job. He's about to be demoted. You make it clear that he was the true attacker, he definitely won't be on the Nadesico anymore." Gai considered this. It was the perfect revenge. It didn't get anyone directly hurt in a physical way, no, but…

Gai stood up and made a beeline for the door. Akito followed him with his eyes. "Going to do that, Gai-chan?" Gai shook his head before turning back to the Martian he was obsessed with. 'He takes everything to the extremes. I think that's what I really like most about him.' "Nope. Something else. Don't worry, my dear. I'll take care of him in my own way." He smiled. It wasn't a harsh smile, but it oozed with one statement, "Don't meddle." Gai left on that note.

~*~

How Mei really wasn't surprised that, between lunch and dinner, the "crazy old pilot" named Gai would take up a place in the cafeteria to confront the Admiral. In fact, she was pretty interested to see how the argument would go.

The two had just sat down. Munetake glared at the insubordinate-acting pilot. "Just what is it that you want? I have many duties to attend to and I don't need to be busied with the silly problems of a random crew member!"

Gai simply leaned his chin on both of his hands. He closed his eyes. "Tell me, Admiral, do you remember when the Nadesico broke through the Big Barrier? The night you escaped? Someone was in the hangar, you know. And I know you know." His eyes opened again. "I was shot, in attempt to kill me. You do realize the seriousness of murder. My question is, are you certain that everything happened as stated in your report?"

Munetake wasted no time. He crossed his arms. "Of course it did," answered he.

"Wrong." The true remark rang through the Admiral's mind like a death bell. 'Shit. I forgot that he actually saw it. Damn damn damn.' "It was you, and you know it."

Munetake shook his head, trying to shake the word out of his mind. "So what if it was me?! No one will believe you! You've hated me since day one, everyone knows that! You have no proof!" He stopped his angry come-back to glare at the boy before him.

Gai just glared back. "You think I don't know that? There isn't much I could do to get you thrown off the ship for that, is there? But really, what were you thinking? Do you really care so much about your job to hurt someone? To intend to kill someone simply because they stand in the way of what you want?" The questions nearly drowned the Admiral.

He shook his head again, why couldn't he think straight? Why did the question have so much of an effect on him? "This is a war, baka! There's no room for right or wrong anymore! People have to make their actions for themselves!" It seemed like the only rational answer. It was, at least, the only one he could come up with.

Gai nodded, understanding this point. "In the end, there is no right or wrong. The only right in the world is when one goes with their instinct, what they think is right. One shouldn't act on the situation, but one's standing, what they believe."

Silence overtook the cafeteria once again. How Mei smiled to herself. 'A close match, but a tie in the end.' She continued her peeling of the potato in her hand, but she was interrupted.

"Excuse me, but could I borrow a few tea strainers, Miss How Mei?" questioned the light voice. Amano Hikaru, of course. She had just asked a few minutes ago for some baking soda. How Mei smiled warmly at the girl. "Still working on your snow diorama?" Hikaru nodded. "We just started it! It's going great!" The head cook handed the small sieves to the perky pilot and watched her skip away.

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude or Uribatake Interlude)

Hikaru shook the strainer and watched some of the baking soda sift itself out of it, falling just like little snow flakes. She giggled. It made her think of when her family sometimes left the colony during Christmas to visit the place where her mother's family had come from, Ireland. She really liked sledding, so she made many snow hills in the diorama. "This is great!" She turned a bit, looked at a more barren area of the scene. "I'll add more snow over here!" She grinned widely. This was fun.

"The little crystals in baking soda have a perfect snow effect!" Uribatake smiled at her. "Just look at how they glitter!" The last word was barely out before he realized he was staring at her. Some of the baking soda had gotten all over her uniform and hair, making her sparkle slightly. The pure glee on her face enhanced it that much more. He blushed just the slightest.

Hikaru felt eyes on her. Her eyebrows knit together and she turned toward the mechanic. She saw him close his eyes tightly and shake his head, as if to shake some random thought away. "What's wrong?"

Uribatake took a deep breath. "Hikaru…"

A face got in his line of vision. "What're you doing! You're not supposed to be playing with toys, you're supposed to be build my X-Aestivalis!" 'God dammit, the Admiral ruins the best moments…' Uribatake scratched his head. "I finished that already! But…"

Munetake's face was starting to turn purple. "But what?!"

Uribatake led the two of them back into the warehouse of the hangar. "There are design problems. I wanted to give it a show-stopping cannon, and 'X-cannon', so I gave it a gravity blast cannon. But if it actually tried to charge up enough energy to fire the gun, it'd blow up! Still, it was only an idea I had, not a full-blown development project. Oh well." Uribatake shrugged. Munetake didn't take this whole situation well.

He grabbed Uribatake's collar and lifted him up. "Now listen here! You're going to finish this robot and make it perfect! I'm at the end of my plank, the end of my rope! This is the only thing that can save my ass and you're going to fix it or I'll nail your worthless hide to the wall!"

Nobody but Hikaru noticed the Captain come in until she was between the two men, yelling, "Break it up!"

Hikaru wondered why she couldn't do anything to defend Uribatake. He was a good friend, after all. 'Maybe,' she thought, 'even if he is a friend, I understand him too? I don't really think he'd like a girl defending his butt, even if they did it out of friendship. Could it be that he actually understands me, if I understand him?'

~*~

Munetake sat back down on the bench that he sat on this morning. That he sat on during his discussion with that pilot. His job was as over, he knew, and nothing he could do would fix it. The robot was defective, the pilot could go to anyone and tell the truth about what had happened. So many things going wrong in one day.

How Mei was usually the last one in the kitchens, but she realized that the Admiral still sat in the cafeteria. "Um… Sir? We're closing the Galley now…"

The answer was strange. "I used to believe all that myself. You heard the crazy pilot go on and on, didn't you, Miss?" How Mei slowly nodded, wondering where this would lead. "I used to believe that one following their instincts was the true way to power and righteousness. But no. Since I joined the UE Spacey, it has been all about lies and deceit, kicking people when they're down, ruining people to get to the top." He finally got up and left the cafeteria.

As much as How Mei didn't like him, she couldn't help but be a little worried about him. 'I hope he doesn't do anything he'll regret.'

Munetake knew exactly where he was going. He wasn't disoriented in the least bit, no matter how much he looked the part. He opened the door to the infirmary. He would give himself the nanomachine injection. He would be the one to pilot the robot called X.

~*~

(Hikaru Interlude or Uribatake Interlude)

Hikaru and Uribatake had been working on the diorama for hours on end. Hikaru sighed. "I need to take a break." She took off her spectacles and stretched her back. It had been in a bent position for several hours.

Uribatake blushed. "You know, you're cute with your glasses off?" Hikaru looked at him, trying to figure out what he meant, then let the happy otaku mask slip back into place. "Come on! You could do a little better than that. No writer today would dare use that line, it sounds like something from a hundred-year-old romantic comedy!" She nudged him in the ribs. "So what're you trying to say, Uri-P?"

Uribatake smiled. "I was just thinking that if I met a girl like you a long time ago I'd be a much happier man."

Hikaru gasped. 'The mask must stay, don't lose the mask, Hikaru-chan…' "A girl like me? Oh! You've got to be kidding me!" She shook her head hastily.

Uribatake's smile turned upside down. "It's true you know. You understand the same references, the same jokes…" Hikaru smiled a bit. "Well, it is much more fun when you're tastes are similar… And I'm sure you'll make some woman very happy someday!" It had completely slipped Hikaru's mind that he was married.

Uribatake laughed. "You think so!?" Then he realized the predicament he was in. "Ah… Hikaru… I-" But before he could say anything, Hikaru had turned away and interrupted any confession or apology he was going to make.

"We should stop." Uribatake made a grunt of surprise, but stayed quiet so she could continue. "I only came here so that I would have a friend. A friend that, I thought, would want to understand me." She reached over and played with the head of the Aesti model she customized, her precious "Sailor Aestivalis", as she dubbed it. "People misunderstand me all the time, to the point that they don't even try anymore. I… I miss being able to talk about everything I liked, anything I wanted to, with a very close friend. I haven't been able to do that since I moved out on my last boyfriend." 'I'm lying through my teeth. I didn't leave him, he left me.'

Uribatake had to comment. "You mean you've actually lived with a man before?" Hikaru nodded. Uribatake made a feeble laugh. "Well, I guess I am an old coot, and you're a modern girl and all…"

Hikaru looked down. "It was with him that I realized love and friendship are different things. They felt the same, but only one could be completely present at one time. I… I'm sorry Uri-P. I'll make this the last time I come here." Hikaru put her glasses back on, took a deep breath, and left the hangar bay.

Uribatake didn't even turn around. Her words had made a mark on him. Looking at the cheerfully colored model, he imagined he had discovered something about Hikaru few people knew.

'She hides behind her cheerfulness. She's afraid of facing her sadness, so she covers her depression with mock happiness. Inside, she screaming, wailing for someone to console her, to want to know her the way she is, not the way she presents. God, I really did misunderstand her.' The mechanic sighed, and went back to work on his models, though he was quite so motivated anymore.

~*~

Munetake staggered onto the bridge just as the Nadesico was nearing the Cosmos. Woozy and sense in disarray, he peered out the window to see them smoothly riding towards, what looked like to him at least, the enemy.

"It's… the enemy," he whispered. Although it was quiet, Yurika heard this statement, and turned around to ask for an explanation. Munetake was already heading back towards the hangar bay, yelling, "It's time to launch the Aestiva-X!" Yurika looked confused for a bit, then ordered Megumi to send all pilots out to go get the crazy old Admiral.

~*~

Munetake hummed a little nursery rhyme to himself, as he launched the X-sti to go and take care of the Jovian menace. "Why put others in the line of danger when I can do it myself? Screw Earth, I'll fight them for myself!" Itsuki glared at him through a communications window.

"Look, baka, get your ass back in the Nadesico before we blow you up!" Izumi appeared right next to his face. "Why don't we just blow him up?" Then Akatsuki appeared, "The Captain wants him brought back alive."

Gai was kicking himself. "God damn it, if I hadn't told him all that crap he wouldn't be going off!" Akito's face appeared before his own. "Don't say that, Gai-chan," whispered he, "You did what your heart told you to." Gai shook his head.

"Don't you see? It doesn't work that way any more!" Munetake took aim with the gravity blast cannon. Ryoko gasped.

"What should we do?" asked she. Usually she was the one giving orders. Itsuki made one nod with her head. "We'll have to drag him back, I guess."

Uribatake's face appeared, and he yelled, "You can't! He's already started charging up the cannon! It's too late!" Hikaru was the first one that caught the message, and was flying like a bat out of hell back toward the Nadesico. Akatsuki and Izumi followed, then Itsuki and Ryoko, until Gai and Akito were the only two left.

Gai pounded on his interface. "If only I kept my mouth shut…" Akito could do nothing now. Akito was afraid of people dying too, but he didn't know what to do.

~*~

No, it was only after hours that things really changed around the Nadesico.

The two pilots walked back to their room, but Gai was so distraught, he didn't even know what to do. He settled for just sitting on his bed while Akito took a shower. He still sat when Akito came out, rubbing his hair, which seemed to get longer everyday.

"I really really need a haircut…" Akito changed quickly into his off-duty shirt and a pair of shorts. Satisfied that he was dry, he sat down on Gai's bed too. However, getting antsy, he laid down, resting the back of his head on his boyfriend's lap. "Are you okay, Gai-chan?"

Gai nodded slowly. "I didn't even like him. But still…" Akito nodded too. "I know. You knew him. He wasn't just a faceless being to you. You knew of him, it was an actual person who died, instead of a voice and an opinion."

Gai smiled down at the Martian, and reached down, petting his hair. "God, I love you Akito. You know that, right?"

Akito did. Gai couldn't lie about something like that. "I… I know, Gai. But I still don't know, okay? Give me time." The Earthling nodded.

~*~

(Ruri Interlude)

Ruri, at the end of her shift, decided to go see the old mechanic to check up on the creation of her best friend. Uribatake was back to work on it, and fastening little wires to different parts of the body on the table. Mostly to the head.

"Need my help?" Ruri had already absorbed the fact there was only the transfer left before there was completion. She figured that this portion would have to be her work. Hardware could only go so far with out software to work it. That software would be the tree itself, and it would be difficult to get the system to let go of it.

Uribatake noted her presence, and nodded. Ruri felt something wrong with the mechanic, but didn't think anything on it. Instead, the girl walked over to the head of the body, studying it's face.

It looked around her age, with the look of a boy. There was synthetic light brown hair coming out of his head, and his eyes were closed. One thing that was different was that the robot wore a pair of glasses with thick frames.

"Why does a robot need glasses?" asked she, pressing her hand upon his forehead. She felt the interface she was so used to beneath the rubbery skin. Uribatake looked over and saw her concern. "Oh, I had problems with the coloring in his vision. I couldn't get the right lenses with the right mechanical pieces into each eye, so I just put them into a pair of glasses. Without them, he'll only see in red, blue, and green." Ruri nodded. This made sense. She watched the man fasten the last wire to the fake skin. Her other hand reached over to the uncovered interface next to the table.

"Ready, Ruriruri-chan. Go ahead." The silent girl nodded and felt her eyes go out of focus. It was like fitting into an old pair of shoes that never were too small. She searched out the tree within the computer, the center of it's consciousness, and gracefully touched a branch. The other hand grew warm. The branch instantly shattered to pieces, the shards being absorbed by her. And so she went along the tree, absorbing the shards of the consciousness as she sent it along towards the robot boy on the table. Moving each and every file of memory, each file that the computer had marked as it's own, into the impenetrable brain of the body, the figure that the being known only as Omoikane had so asked for since he had first been implanted onto the Nadesico.

She absorbed the very last flower, then she let her eyes refocus as she slumped in her chair in exhaustion. Uribatake looked a little spooked and shuddered a bit. "I still can't get over the way your eyes glow when you do that." Ruri smiled very very slightly.

She looked onto the face of the boy that now held all the information, all the feelings that Omoikane ever had. 'This is the boy who will now be known only as Omoikane.' She just watched his face as Uribatake told her of how his signs of life sky-rocketed from the second she started to piece apart the more intimate files of Omoikane.

She merely blinked when she watched Omoikane's eyes slowly open. They glowed blue, as they would to anyone who used the nanomachine computer interface that was only, really, experimental. But as the electronic lights faded, she could see that he really did have blue eyes.

"Ohayo, Omoikane." Omoikane's lips separated. "Ruri-sama!" he gasped before sitting straight up. His voice was slightly young-sounding, but there wasn't much one could about that. Besides, it was just the smallest bit endearing. "Ruri-sama! I'm really here, in the same room as you?"

Ruri nodded. Uribatake seemed to be the only one that noticed that Omoikane was still undressed, so he handed a brand-new orange uniform to the cyborg. Omoikane moved his sky colored gaze from the girl that had reign over him to the man that created him. "Thank you so much… Otosan?" Uribatake lifted an eyebrow. "Father? Since when was your father?"

Omoikane smiled. "You built me my body, silly!" Ruri tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned too quickly. "Ahhhhh… I'm dizzy now." Ruri nodded, but made her point clear. "I'll show you to everyone in the morning. Remember, Omoikane-chan, you were created to be my back-up. You won't let me down?"

Omoikane shook his head. "Hai, Ruri-sama!" He saluted with such seriousness even Ruri had to smile.

TBC…

~*~

A/N: My god! That was the longest one yet! Don't expect another extremely long one like this for a long time, maybe in another ten chapters… So, my stalking Munetake-fan, did I handle him well enough? To everyone else, is there anything that bugged you about this one? Did I make a bit too depressing on Hikaru's behalf? If I did, I'm NOT sorry! She's really a very depressed girl on the inside, you know. And I ended it on a Ruri interlude because the next chapter will be nothing much except a Ruri interlude. Also, the appearance of Prince Ariko is in the next chapter! I wouldn't expect it in a while, I need a break! ><