Zeta Gundam Fan Fiction ❯ Harbinger of Darkness ❯ Setting the Stage... ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: Gundam? Nah, I don't own it.

 

 

Lieutenant Colonel Trowa Barton stood again in the office of his commander, Brigadier General Arthur Wesley. He stood at stiff attention and waited for the general's nod before he took his seat.

`You have a report for me I assume?' Wesley rumbled from the other side of his massive desk. Papers were already strewn about in a seemingly helter-skelter fashion, but as with everything about the general, there was a method to the madness. Important papers like the ones Trowa held might end up as part of the paper blizzard, but would always be within seconds of reach when needed.

Just like my permanent record, Trowa though glumly. He'd been on his best behaviour since arriving in Hawaii, but every now and then the urge to have a good drink overpowered him and he had amassed a considerable stockpile of contraband. Of course, there was no way Wesley could know about that. Hell, Asuka didn't even know about that.

Anyway, back to reality: `Yes sir. The quarterly progress report on the Tsunami Project is complete and I came to drop it off.'

He handed over the multi-page document. Wesley eyed it briefly before setting it aside.

`You're 90 per cent complete.'

`Yes sir,' Trowa replied with a nod. `There was some difficulty with the shipping of armour materials, but by slightly altering the production schedule to compensate, we have been able to get the first unit more or less fully operational.'

`And the other two?'

`Units two and three are both 75 per cent complete and will be finalised upon arrival at Green Noah. We simply need to pack everything up and get it to the HLV facilities in Beijing. At your discretion, of course, sir.'

Trowa felt ten feet tall. He had arrived on the project when it was still in its infancy and through shrewd finagling of resources and even shrewder people management, he had sped up the schedule by a full month. Here it was, just one year after he took the helm, and they were already wrapping things up on one of the Titans biggest fiscal ventures.

If that wasn't enough to clear his record, he was damned if he knew what would.

If Wesley felt any of the joy that Trowa did about the early completion of the project, he gave no sign of it. Instead, he rummaged through the pile of papers in his `out' box and shoved one of them in Trowa's direction.

`What's this, sir?' the junior officer asked, prior to taking a look at the header. He was expecting just to drop of his report and be on his way; that Wesley had a paper for him caught him off guard.

`Read it and find out,' the general replied gruffly.

And read Trowa did. After deciphering the elevated bureaucratic bullshit, he looked back at Wesley with eyes wide in wonder. `I'm being transferred to Jabrow?'

`Just for a little while. The top brass are packing up and moving the capitol to Dakar. They didn't say why, but then again, because they're the top brass, they don't really need to. Any rate, your ass is heading down there to head up the security force overseeing the evacuation. Odds are they'll want you to be doing it hands-on, so you'll probably have to kiss your desk job good-bye.'

Trowa was fighting to keep the grin from exploding forth on his face. To be back in the cockpit after all these years? Holy shit!

`Not that your ego needs this,' Wesley continued, steepling his fingers and narrowing his eyes, `but you were requested by name for this assignment. I was going to tell the bastards no, but your progress has far exceeded anything I had anticipated. You did a good job, son, so I'll sign off for you.'

`Yes sir!' Trowa said, finally losing out against the smile, `thank you, sir!'

Wesley snorted. `Very well, Lieutenant Colonel. Now hurry on out of my office.'

`Yes sir,' Trowa said again, as he donned his officer's cap and pushed through the heavy oak doors.

On his way home, he made a quick stop at one of the shops in Pearl City.

`What are you doing home in the middle of the day?' Asuka asked, looking up from her soap opera at the sound of the door.

`Can't a guy drop in on his girlfriend without a reason?' he asked, feigning hurt. `Can't it be a “just because I love you visit”?'

`Cut the bullshit Trowa,' she said taking a seat across from him at the kitchen table. `Did something happen at work?' she sounded worried.

`Something like that,' he gave her a sly smile. `I'm getting transferred to Jabrow, babe!'

Asuka's blue eyes shone. `Sweetie!' she got up and threw her arms around him. `That's where you've always wanted to go, right? I'm so proud of you, Trowa!'

`…and, wait `til you see what's behind door number two.' He rummaged through the bag for what he had bought in town. `Here you go, babe. I hope you like it.'

All the colour drained from Asuka's face when she picked up the small velvet box from his outstretched hand. `Are you serious?' she asked, incredulously.

`Hell yeah,' he nodded. `But don't just stand there looking at the box, open it already!'

`I-I can't. You open it Trowa.'

`What?'

`I'm too nervous. I'll faint if I open it.'

`You will not either.'

`Uh-huh! I'm no good at this sort of romantic surprise thing.'

`But you know what it is.'

`That makes it even worse!'

He laughed at his soon-to-be-fiancée. `Fine then, we'll do it your way.'

The small box contained an engagement ring, with a diamond encircled with seven tiny rubies. Asuka screamed in delight and almost really did faint.

`Oh Trowa,' she said when her powers of speech had returned to her, `you bet your dorky ass I'll marry you. I'd follow you to the ends of the earth sphere, just so long as I could be by your side. I love you.'

She set the ring aside and kissed him roughly.

`Damn!' he gasped when she finally let him breathe. `If I'd known it would be like this, I'd've popped the question a long fucking time ago!'

`Honey,' Asuka said breathily as she yanked him out of his chair and towards their bedroom, `you ain't seen the half of it.'

 

`All right,' Sergeant Will Valentine said to his assembled subordinates, `This is it you sodding whelps. As of today your training is completed and your unit will be moved to one of the new Irish-class battleships.'

Finally! Tony Kaiser thought bitterly. Free at last! Another year under this peckerhead and I would've fragged him myself.

Aloud he chorused a `Yes sir!' with Jin Romanov and Lisa Hayes.

He could imagine the two of them were thinking similar insubordinate thoughts. Ever since that day when Valentine had tried to cheat them out of their leave for drinking, they'd all held the sergeant in less than appropriate esteem.

Nevertheless, they were finally free of him and would find themselves acting as a real unit in the AEUG rebel organisation. That was cause enough for them to be excited.

Valentine continued, `You will report to the battleship Uzume in dock number—' he paused to look at the clipboard `—dock number five at 2100. From there you will receive your new orders and be assigned to a unit leader.'

He looked over the lot of them. `I'm not going to say that it was fun, because it sure as hell wasn't, but you all take care. Don't do anything stupid and be sure to listen to orders, you follow me?'

`Sir!' the three pilots said as one.

`A lot of people in the colonies are counting on you to give the Titans a good kick in the slats, and I'm one of them. I'd be out there fighting with you if I could, but someone's got to stay behind and train would-be pilots. Don't fuck up.'

With that, Will Valentine turned smartly and walked back to the noncom offices across the base.

`Jesus.' Jin murmured. `You'd almost think he gave a shit about us.'

`Fuck him,' Tony said with a dismissive wave. The memory of his conversation with Will about Newtypes still grated on him, and he was only too glad to not hear that hocus-pocus bullshit from him anymore.

`Well,' Lisa remarked as the three of them picked up their duffle bags and started towards the linear train that would take them to the residential area, `we've still got a few hours to kill. Anything you guys want to try and do before we have to be at the ship?'

`Why don't we grab something to eat?' Jin suggested. `Tony's girl works at that place downtown, right? Sure she could cut us a deal, eh Tony?'

Tony felt his face heat, even in the already warm conditions of the linear car depot. `I'm not going to let you guys take advantage of Amanda's family like that. If you want to eat there, you can pay full price just like everyone else.'

`Mr. High and Mighty,' Jin snorted, `how many free meals have you gotten away with?'

The tram pulled up to the stop with a slight hiss. As the doors opened, the three soldiers pushed through the crowd of engineers and pilots coming up from the shipyards. Fortunately Jin, Tony, and Lisa were all wearing Federation Uniforms to discourage any suspicion about their loyalties. Most of the workers at the docks knew that the base was no longer a part of the Federation and supported the AEUG, but for the people who had just got off the shuttles as tourists, it helped to hide in plain sight.

`None,' Tony said once they had found seats near the back. `Nor have I ever wanted to. I have more respect for them than to impose like that.'

`Bah!' Jin said. `Still, I am hungry. I don't suppose it would be too bad to have to pay full price. What do you say Lisa?'

She shrugged indifferently. `I'm following you guys.' Yet, a malicious smile began to form on her face, `I would be interested in meeting Tony's girl, though. She must be quite a trooper to put up with the likes of that hothead.'

`Thanks a lot Lisa,' Tony grumbled.

`Aww, did I hurt your feelings?'

Tony crossed his arms and said nothing.

Fortunately, the two chatterboxes ultimately ceased ribbing him after a while and he was able to look out of the windows as the tram began to move. There were just so many stars out there; he marvelled at them with his chin propped up on one hand and sighed. Thinking about the stars was hard always, but all the more so now. They reminded him of the distance that would be between Amanda and him once things were finally set in place with regards to his transfer. He could end up on duty anywhere in the earth sphere, and it could be months at a time before he would be able to secure leave long enough to make it back here.

Would Amanda wait for him?

He mentally shook his head. That was a stupid question if ever there was one. Of course she would wait. The times they had spent together since 30 Bunch…the bonds they had forged…

And yet, he couldn't force himself to stop worrying about things like that. This would be the last time he would see her for God-only-knows how long. She could call him and he her, but it just wouldn't be the same.

The starscape below suddenly vanished behind a wall of alloy as the tram whirred back into the inside of the colony. Tony was at once relieved and disappointed at the change of scenery, but had not the time to dwell on it. Lisa was tugging at his sleeve and letting him know that their stop was coming up soon.

`Fantasising were we?' she gibed. `Don't worry, we'll be at your beloved's soon enough.'

`God, Lisa!' Tony shook her hand away. `The hell do you have to say shit like that for?'

`Only because I love you, Tony!' she laughed.

`Ha-hah,' he replied sarcastically and stood to walk towards the door.

It always made him feel awkward when she said stuff like that; he could never tell how serious she was really being. Yeah she always said it with a laugh, but the fact remained that she said it an awful damn lot.

Tony stole a look over his shoulder as the tram began to slow. Lisa wasn't bad looking—with her girl-next-door charms—but she wasn't Amanda. No, even if she were a model on the runways in Paris, no one could compare to Amanda Frost.

Lisa caught him glancing and stuck her tongue out at him.

`Hey, come on,' Jin said as he got up to follow Tony.

`I know.' Lisa followed the two of them out onto the platform.

From the tram station, Tony led the way up the steps and into the artificial sunlight of the colony's residential block. Lisa wanted to catch a cab, but Tony waved the idea aside, pointing out that the restaurant was only three blocks up the street.

`Besides,' he added as they started walking, `this is our last day on this colony. Might as well make the most of the time we've got left here, right?'

It was a perfect day (as if the artificial days of the colonies could be anything other than perfect…), and the colony gave all signs of being peaceable and serene. There was the occasional out-of-work Vet, sitting on the street corner begging for cash, but also there were high powered executive types yammering away on cell phones as they took their work with them on lunch break. The three soldiers walked past the chain-link fence of a school on the other side of the street and watched the kids at recess with passing interest.

Jin stopped once to drop some money into the coffer of a Jesuit alms-seeker.

As he crossed himself and hurried to catch up with his squadmates, Tony remarked, `All this time and I never knew you were a Catholic.'

`Eh, sometimes I am, sometimes I'm not. I just figured it'd be a good idea to do something good to make sure The Big Guy is looking out for us while we fight, you know?'

Tony shrugged. He thanked God every night for getting him out of 30 Bunch, but in almost the same breath he cursed the Deity for not letting his family make it out too. That was about as religious as he got.

He snapped out of his musings as they walked up to the restaurant. `Good afternoon, Mrs. Martin,' he called into the seemingly empty shop.

`You sure they're open?' Lisa asked. It's about the middle of the lunch hour and this place is dead!'

`The door was open, wasn't it?' Tony snapped.

`Tony?' Amanda's voice floated down the stairs.

`Hey Amanda,' he replied. `You guys are open, right?'

There was a thumping as the young woman's feet hit the stairs. `Tony!' she said again when she saw him. `Oh my God, it is so good to see you.'

They embraced and she kissed him quickly on the cheek. `Sorry no one was ready to seat you when you got here,' Amanda said, blushing slightly. `Auntie had just stepped out a minute ago and I figured that I'd have time to run upstairs to my computer for a minute. Who are those people?'

She was pointing to Jin and Lisa. Tony made quick introductions and asked if they could be seated.

Amanda was happy to oblige them and as soon as the three soldiers were seated, she got to work in the kitchen.

`Ya'll sit tight,' she called over the din of the cooking equipment. `I'm fixing to make up some old-style fried chicken and mashed potatoes. If Auntie were here, she could make something a little more substantial, but this was the first meal she taught me how to make, and it's what I happen to be good at.'

`Thank you!' Lisa shouted back, stifling a snicker. Tony shot her a dirty look, but that wasn't enough to stop her from throwing in, `I'd love some greens with that meal, Amanda. Reckon you could fix me up some?'

`Lisa!' Tony hissed angrily.

`What?'

`Come on, Lisa.' Even Jin thought she'd gone too far.

`Aww, you guys,' her face heated. `She knows I was only kidding.'

…

`You guys head on down to the docks,' Tony said, `I'll be along presently.'

`Better not be late, Tony,' Lisa cautioned.

`I won't be.'

Lisa gave him a dubious look. `You should come with us.'

Jin gave an exasperated sigh. `Lisa, for Christ's sakes, let the man be! Who knows when the next time he'll see his girl will be? Would you really deny him that?'

`Look, I just don't want to run afoul of our new CO is all,' she huffed. `We're less likely to get on his bad side if we all show up together and on time.'

A wave of anger broke on Tony's mind. He almost blew his top, but was able to bite it back. Why was she acting like this? Couldn't she just let him be?

Just as he was opening his mouth to give a hot remark, Jin put a hand on Lisa's shoulder. `Relax,' he said calmly. `If Tony says that he'll be on time, I have faith that he'll be on time. You should too, Lisa. Now come on; why don't we go down to the park and watch the ships come in, eh? I know I'm not the studmuffin Tony is, but I'm sure we could have a decent time and meet up with him around 1900 for drinks or something.'

She crossed her arms, and shook off his hand. For a minute, Tony thought she wasn't going to give, but she mumbled, `Fine. Whatever,' and stalked out of the restaurant.

Tony and Jin watched her go, for a moment. With a sigh, Jin spoke at last, `I'd better go and track her down. All I can say is that you sure as fuck better not be late, Tony, or she'll really start getting PMS-y.'

`Why do you think she's like that?' Tony asked.

Jin looked at him for several seconds, saying nothing. At last he turned and walked off in the direction that Lisa had gone. `1900, Tony, Don't be late,' he called over his shoulder.

`Thanks, Jin!' Tony replied.

`What was that about?' Amanda had appeared at his side.

`My teammates,' he said with a shrug. He turned to look at her. `How are you feeling?'

`You're leaving me.' Her tone was unplaceable.

`I love you, Amanda.'

`You lie,' she snorted. `If you loved me, you'd quit this AEUG nonsense and work the store with auntie and me.'

`How do you feel? About me?'

She put her hands on her hips and looked at him with her hazel-green eyes. `I…I can't figure you out Tony. You love me, but you won't be with me. And you'll be with that brunette all the time—Lisa. I seen the way she was looking at you.'

`Amanda…'

`Shut up!' Amanda turned away from him. `You're leaving. Just like James; you're going away and you're not coming back.'

`Is that what this is about?' Tony said meditatively.

A moment passed.

`I…I love you too, Tony,' Amanda said cautiously, `and…'

His hands lit on her shoulders, softly, but reassuringly.

`God, don't leave me, Tony!' she said, suddenly turning and embracing him fiercely. `You don't have to go. Let somebody else avenge 30 Bunch! Stay and be happy with me.'

`You know I can't.'

She hugged him tighter, cinching his lungs.

`It's not just 30 Bunch, Amanda. I'm doing this for us. So that you and I can live in a world where we don't have to worry about being gassed for voicing our opinions. A world where we can talk freely and not have to worry that people are listing, just waiting for us to say something remotely seditious so that they can arrest us. No. I have to fight. But no matter what, I swear on the lives lost on that black day, that I will come back to you, and we'll run the restaurant together, and you can finally teach me how to say “ya'll”.'

She smiled slightly and turned her face up to him. `Kiss me.'

He did.

`Will you make love to me?' she asked, when they had finally parted.

`Only if you'll take it as a “see you later” and not a “good-bye”.'

`It better not be “good-bye”,' she said, taking his hand and leading him up the steps to her small cubby-hole of a room.

Several minutes later found them in Amanda's uncomfortably small twin bed. Too small for two people lying next to one-another, Tony mused as he always did afterwards. Trying to ignore the fact that much of his left side was hanging over the edge, a lazy smile still formed on his face: but not too small for the `beast with two backs'.

Amanda dozed serenely to his right, a vision of loveliness with the rays of the artificial afternoon sun splashed across her pale face. Poor angel, he thought, all tuckered out, huh?

By chance he glanced over at the digital clock on her nightstand. The red 6:00 made him bite his lower lip. He had an hour to get down to the docks to meet up with Jin and Lisa. An hour…precious little time left to be here with Sleeping Beauty…

But duty called, unfortunately. He crawled awkwardly out of the too-small bed and started to dress himself. The uniform had wrinkled slightly, but hopefully his new CO wouldn't be a stickler for personal appearance. AEUG officers tended to be a bit more lax on the whole which was good for someone like Tony.

`Where are you going?' Amanda's voice stopped him as he was pulling on his socks. He turned to see her sitting bolt upright in the bed with the sheets covering the swell of her bosom, eyes wide with fear and regret.

Tony smiled in spite of himself. `I wasn't going to leave like a thief in the night, Amanda. You know me better than that.'

He walked back over and sat on the bed next to her and put an arm around her bare shoulders.

`Please stay,' she whispered, her eyes moist, begging.

`I can't,' he murmured, leaning in close to her face so that her breath tickled his nose. `God knows I want to, but I have my obligations.'

Amanda cast down her eyes, but kissed him again. Not rough and desperate this time, but lightly and delicately. Their lips touched for barely a moment, but there was more love in that single quick kiss than any other moment in their entire year-long courtship. It made him hard again, yeah, but it was more than just that. It was as if in that single instant, for the first time in his life, he felt truly alive. Truly whole. Truly happy.

And then it was over.

She stared at him with her glassy, hazel-green eyes, seemingly unaware of the fact that her lower lip was still trembling. `I'll wait for you,' she said at last, `however long it takes.'

`Won't be long,' Tony said with a smile. He stood and ran a hand along the contour of her face. `Promise.'

With that, Tony Kaiser rose and departed, a single tear running down his cheek.

 

Naomi Sterling sat alone in the dark of her quarters with her knees pulled up to her chest.

So dark, so cold.

Most nights the fear and the guilt would leave her alone at least long enough for her to get a few good hours of sleep. Generally, that was because the daily patrols were so draining, so physically taxing.

She sighed and rested her forehead on her kneecaps. Then again, there was also the constant drain of walking on eggshells whenever she passed by her commanding officer.

Henry.

Some days were better than others. There were times when he waved and gave that Cheshire cat smile of his. Yet, other days (generally the days when he had his porcelain doll, Michelle, on his arm), he became the heartless beast from that day in their apartment nearly two years ago now. The frightening thing was that she could never tell who she would be talking to whenever he approached her.

And that slut, Michelle! Naomi had a difficult time believing that she had ever felt sorry for a woman so conniving and manipulative as she. It was as if through her wiles and charms, she had managed not only to tame the monster, Henry, but to bend his will to her every beck and call. She continued to push him, to drive him ever farther towards the precipice of sanity.

That wasn't to say that she was completely well herself, though. Knowing that she was so unstable made it difficult for Naomi to hate her wholeheartedly.

Naomi hugged her knees tighter to her chest, wishing with all her might that things could go back to the way they were before that horrid year of '85.

A rapping at her door caused her to quickly pull herself together, donning the mask of military protocol. She hurried over to her desk and clicked on her lamp, creating the image that she had been working on writing one of the ubiquitous reports on activity (or lack thereof) in her patrol area.

`Come in!'

There was a hiss as the door slid quickly open and another of a slightly different octave as it shut. Naomi looked up from her computer to see who had entered.

There were two old expressions that quickly came to mind; `speak of the devil,' and `devil in a blue dress.' Naomi stood at attention and affected a smile to cover her disgust: `Good evening, Lady Michelle.'

`Good evening lieutenant Sterling,' Michelle Bannock, clad in an elegant cerulean ensemble, returned the smile. `I was hoping I might find you awake.'

Naomi shrugged. `I generally am, nights like this. Paperwork and the like, you understand.'

Or would you? She thought darkly, since you've come to Axis all you've done is simper and perform for Henry.

Of course, she couldn't say such things aloud. In addition to being forced to maintain the farce of their friendship, Michelle held the ambiguous position of a civilian gentlewoman. Military rank mattered little in the face of Axis' aristocracy, unless you were an officer which made you a de facto member of the first estate. Such was the case with Henry.

`Naomi?' Michelle's voice jarred her from her thoughts, and she blinked as she returned to reality.

`I'm sorry, milady?'

`Aren't you going to invite me to sit down? I feel silly standing in this dress.'

`By all means, lady.' Naomi stood and pushed her hard-backed metal chair across the floor, allowing Michelle to use it while she herself sat on the edge of her cot.

The other woman sighed, crossing her legs. `Honestly, I feel so stupid in this thing. Still, Henry insists that I look good in it, and because all the other women are wearing them…'

Naomi forced a sympathetic smile.

`That and everyone at court is so stuffy and artificial. I didn't know people still acted like this, you know? It feels like I'm back in a mediaeval palace.'

`Well, this is the successor state of the Zabi Dukedom, remember. They were infamous for their pretentious tastes. Not that I would know—I was just a grunt soldier—but the stories of court life sometimes trickled down to people like me.'

`Oh, I know,' Michelle said apologetically, `I didn't mean to throw it in your face or anything. I just like talking to you, Naomi. You're one of the few real people that I know here. In fact, I envy you soldiers. I always have.'

The woman who had once been her friend cocked a dubious eyebrow.

`You don't believe me?'

`No, milady,' she shook her head, `if you say that you envy people like me, that's your business. I just think that your envy is misplaced; personally, I would much rather be in the company of twittering bitches than the cold silence of the Grim Reaper.'

`That's actually one of the reasons I came to talk to you.'

`Oh?'

`You see, I've been giving some thought to undergoing an operation and becoming a cyber Newtype.'

Naomi gaped at her. `Y-you're joking, right? You've got to be. Do you have any idea how risky that operation is? Or the types of side-effects it will have on you?'

`I've read up on the literature, yes,' Michelle replied with a grave nod. `Read up on it and believe that it's worth the risk.'

`For what? No; it's not my place to admonish you in your decisions. I just hope you have a very good idea of what it is you're getting yourself into.'

It was only when she saw Michelle relax the tight muscles in her jaw that Naomi realised how tense she had gotten. She had really been prepared to argue the point. `Thank you,' she said instead, `for not pushing me. I've already had this argument with your brother and would just the same not have to defend my decisions again.'

`You've already spoken to Henry about this?' Naomi asked. `He agreed, didn't he?'

Michelle nodded, but averted her eyes. She's not telling everything, Naomi surmised.

Aloud: `Then if you've already gotten his approval, why'd you come down here to talk to me about it?'

`He wants me to fight under your command. That and, as I've said, you're my friend and I value your opinions.' She shifted in her chair.

So Henry had finally decided to let his little songbird out of her cage for a little while, had he? And what better way to make sure she didn't harm herself, than by assigning her to his sister's flight? Now you wish to make me play in your game, eh brother? You'd make me into one of your puppets too, would you?

`This is all above me,' Naomi stood and walked over to the far corner of the room, her back to Michelle. `You'll have to speak with Mistress Haman to find out what exactly you'll be doing.'

`Henry agreed to talk to her. His audience is Thursday.'

Naomi glanced over her shoulder at Michelle, sizing her up. Yes, she could see why Henry would go to such lengths for her: she was a very pretty woman and had become much more so in her time at Axis. Yet, looks would avail her aught in a MS fight. Would she be able to handle combat? Naomi had seen first-hand how battle could chew one up and spit them out again, especially pretty waifs like Michelle who wanted to prove people wrong by playing soldier.

Poor Linna…

`Do as you wish then,' she said exasperatedly. `I can't stop you.'

 

 

`Annie, why are you so cold to me these days?'

Naomi winced. Michelle was one of the few people who ever called her by her middle name anymore. Back in college, she'd felt that `Naomi' was too much for people to have to say (`sound's like an expensive stripper's name!') and so had preferred to be called by her shorter, more common middle name. For Michelle to bring that up now…Naomi bit her lip. Too much had happened since those good old days.

`S-Shelly,' she started, her mouth feeling rusty as she forced herself to use the other woman's nickname. `I'm…I'm sorry. It's just—'

What was it? Why did she allow this bitterness to build up in her? And when had it happened? She had been so happy when she first learned that Michelle would be working with them, but…was it seeing her with her little brother? Was it seeing her with all of her finery that she so obviously didn't appreciate? Or was it just seeing her so dejected all the time; seeing that even after all these years she still hadn't healed all the wounds from the trial?

Whatever the reason, Michelle was still her friend, and she needed help. They both needed help, caught in Henry's web of controls and restrictions. Perhaps…

`I'm sorry, Shelly,' Naomi said again. `I'll help in any way I can.'

 

Linna Yamazaki bit down nervously on her lower lip. She didn't like flying, not anymore. Simple shuttle rides from the Capital to Nirai-Kanai were more than enough to tie her stomach into knots, especially when she had the dubious honour of sitting in the window seat, as she did today.

The engines thundered to life behind her, and she subconsciously gripped her armrests with white-knuckled force.

Every time she took a flight from colony to colony, she had vivid flashbacks of her days as a MS jockey during the War. Those battles, the explosions, the weightlessness, the fear…no, that scar deep in her psyche had not yet healed in the intervening years. She still harboured a deep terror of the void.

Unfortunately, dredged-up memories of wartime shellshock were not the only thing that made this particular journey one that she would rather not take. The Diet had recessed for the fall and as was her obligation as representative, she would be going home until the next round of legislation opened in January. Home to Nirai-Kanai.

Home to her father.

It would be interesting to say the least. The honourable retired representative, Isoroku Yamazaki and his wayward daughter Linna, the girl who would play soldier, together again. It had been four years since she was last at their estate; she'd bullshitted excuses for missing Christmas and Thanksgiving the first two years, and her father had employed similar delaying tactics the last two. They'd both claimed too busy, even though her mother, Eiko, had pleaded with both of them to stop being so stubborn.

Now all the excuses had run out. Worse yet, her mother had dropped several hints that her father was thinking about possible plans for an arranged marriage for her. Linna had glowered over the phone, but Mother was behind the idea too.

`What are you doing with your life, Linna?' Eiko had asked during their conversation. `You're almost thirty. It's time that you stop playing congress and find a suitable husband.'

`Mother, you can't rush these things. I'll find one when I'm good and ready!'

`You've been saying that every year since you got back. I think it's wonderful that your father is taking such steps for you.'

Linna ground her teeth, more out of anger now than fear. Where did they get off, planning her life for her? And it was all too likely that whoever her father chose as a possible suitor would be a conniving mandarin who could take her position in the Diet (in his mind, it wasn't proper for a woman to be there anyway—even if she was his daughter).

But that would interfere with her pet-project to a degree that she could not stand for. She needed the political clout of being a representative in order to convince people like Kaji to join her cause. The Hatamoto had been steadily increasing their ranks over the past months, but recruitment was always difficult and many times it had only been because she, Paige, or Nick had been directly involved that they had managed to convince the Vet how important the venture was.

And that thought created a fork in her stream of consciousness.

She thought of the other reason that she was going to Nirai-Kanai. The real reason she gave in to her mother's request was not so much out of her sense duty to her parents, but rather because her home colony was also the location of Deus ex Machina, a firm specialising in mechanical prosthetics and cybernetic augmentation. She had heard through her intelligence network that the organisation was headed by members of a disbanded Zeon research team that had been doing experiments in cyborg-MS interface during the war. Such work should have rivalled the importance of the Newtype Labs, but funding had withered and although there had been one remarkable success in the form of the MS-19C2 Xero, the top brass had considered the experiment a perversity and forestalled any further allocations of war monies. (That and, by the time any tangible results had been produced the war was nearing its unfortunate conclusion; funding for all aspects of R&D had been cut back in favour of the more pressing need for mass-production of already proven technologies and munitions).

Deus ex, therefore, operated in secret. A sort of black market medical alternative for anyone desperate enough to fork over the hefty sums they charged in order to see what kind of miracles their black technology could produce. Linna had heard stories of recoveries among Veterans that rivalled some Biblical accounts: mangled limbs totally reconstructed, para- and quadriplegics regaining unassisted mobility, even whispers of almost total recovery of patients who even the best doctors had written off as vegetables.

And all of that did not even begin to cover some of Deus ex's less savoury ventures: outfitting assassins and spies with bodies that were practically weapons in and of themselves. Weapons grafts and hand-to-hand combat enhancements such as lightweight metal bone scaffolds and real brass knuckles…

Ritsuko Akagi, former head of the military research branch in the field of PrAug enhancements, was the founder of this back-alley alternative medical facility. Word in the underground was that, while she was a particularly unlikable woman of legendary arrogance and avarice, she was damn good at what she did. Linna didn't want to contact her, but if she was to ensure the success of such a small force as the Hatamoto, she would have to give her troops every possible advantage. Several of her recruits had been seriously injured in the war, and if it meant her making a Faustian deal with Dr. Akagi to allow them to get back in the fight, well, that was a risk she was willing to take. Also, Nick had said, if nothing else it would be good to have a medical officer to rely on.

Whilst most of her mental energies were focused on dealing with the touchy nature of this whole Deus ex affair (almost as bad as that whole Yamazaki family affair…), a small part of her was intent on the nature of her relationship with the desirable Representative Kimball. Nick had certainly been supportive of her all through this endeavour, calling her up nights after particularly trying committee meetings and joining her for lunch on days when it seemed as though the general body meetings were going to drive her insane.

Paige kept teasing her about it. `He wants you bad, Linna,' she had said one night over ramen, `I mean, you should see the way he looks at you. Like a lost puppy!'

`You know I can't afford to get involved in a relationship like that now,' Linna had replied between bites of noodles. `And he knows it too. This isn't high school, Paige. What we're trying to do is vital to the survival of the republic; I can't let my feelings for him distract me from the organisation of the Project.'

`Phooey on you, then,' her friend huffed. `Just remember that you do have a life outside of politics, Ms. Yamazaki, and it is going to pass you by if you're not careful. Thirty's shouting distance from Over the Hill, hun. Best to find a beau now before they stop wanting you for your looks and start wanting you for your money.'

Linna snorted, her fear of flying all but forgotten in the throes of her musings. Why in the hell was everyone so worried about her sex life? Couldn't they see that much more important matters were afoot?