[FIC] And in This Corner (part 2 of 5) {Chapter 27}
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2003 1:50 am
The combined arms attack on the Malaysian terrorist camp went off very well, and all objectives were met with few Mithril casualties. Sousuke in particular had been stellar in his performance and stern in his chasticement of enemy combatants. As dead men tell no tales, his opponents would have nothing bad to say about him.
Little remained standing...or alive, for that matter...in the sprawling jungle enclave that once supported a thriving population of radical Islamic extremists. Following the successful blitzkrieg at that site, the attacking forces pushed aggressively across the Straits of Malaca to bring thunder and lightning to the splinter groups operating on the Indonesia island of Sumatra.
Sousuke's recent worries and remembrances had not discomforted him or effected his combat effectiveness in the slightest manner. Rather, his growing level of confidence in himself and his pending scheme helped galvanize both him and his actions.
The assault force arrived at the TDD-1 three days later than originally scheduled, as the quick and utter successful outcome of their strikes led to an extended course of action in Singapore and Southeast Asia. The rumored tactical nuclear weapons were not dicovered, but there was value in the destruction of so many terrorist nests. And who could say what intelligence bonanza might be awaiting them when captured materials were sifted through.
When Sousuke stepped down from the ARX-7, he was pleased to see that Kaname was waiting. Kaname had to fight the urge to run to the returning soldier. She also had to fight the urge to scold him when she saw the showy but inconsequential external damage on Arbalest. In the crowded hangar, she refrained from leaping on him and hugging him around the neck; but, she did spare him a large smile, which grew larger when he kissed her cheek. He was happy to see her too.
Chatting light-heartedly as they walked, Sousuke led Kaname through the hallway and up to Tessa's quarters. After gathering up Tessa, the group continued silently to Sousuke's chosen destination. He tried hard not to think of it as an arena or field of battle. The dagger-looks he saw pass between the two girls accompanying him did not raise his level of confidence. Neither did their body language. Sousuke felt a sense of impending doom. Early explorers stumbling upon cannabalistic gourmands deep in nameless jungles could not have felt more uneasy.
Sousuke's new found confidence was quickly taking on water, but he was too busy to bail it out.
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Following Sousuke, and trying not too look at Tessa, Kaname walked along with an uneasy step, listening to her own inner monologue. "I will not lose my cool around HER. I will not let her win. Some day Sousuke will PAY!!!" She repeated that mantra again and again, wondering how it might sound set to music.
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Tessa too had her own silent soliloquy. "Maintain calm. Maintain dignity. I will not give into anger. I will not allow THAT girl the slightest bit of satisfaction." She stood tall and triumphant in her vision, while Kaname lay curled up in a weeping ball on the floor.
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Kurz stood in place as the master of ceremonies at the front of the crowded Engineering conference room. A select number of eager male crew members watched him with barely disguised impatience and expectation.
"You are probably wondering why I have gathered you here together..." Kurz started sarcastically, waving to a large speaker and a flat screen television monitor. Lights on nearby recording devices indicated that the machines were on and ready for business.
"YEH!!!" "Let's get on with it!!!" "Do it...Do it!!!" The responses formed a thunderous chorus.
"Having received your generous entry fees and contributions to the 'Kurz Weber Manly Wig Foundation,' I shall soon be able to hold my head up high again." Kurz was enjoying himself---and a seemingly endless supply of alcoholic beverages--even before the main event began.
Snickers and good-natured laughter answered his flamboyant statement.
"I will draw your attention to the blackboard. You will note the varied categories. FIRST VERBAL STRIKE......FIRST PHYSICAL CONTACT......MOST DEVASTATING INSULT......LOWEST BLOW......MOST TOUCHING MOMENT......And so forth and so on. Those who wish to bet may place wagers on who will first have their name written in those boxes, or can wager as often as they like in an ongoing fashion, betting on the next entry in each category. Your money is good here, gentlemen!!!" The men listened intently, getting a good feel for the game to come.
"The odds for each minor event is written in the corresponding box, and those odds will be subject to change as the contest continues. You can, if you like, wager on the most lucrative outcome, the one that says the two lovely ladies will settle their differences in an amicable and responsible manner." Kurz' voice left no doubt how unlikely he thought that outcome would be.
A large "BOOOOOOO......." followed that option.
"Don't worry," Kurz said in consoling fashion, "Knowing both ladies, I think that we will have a most excellent show today!"
Applause and raucous whistles threatened to shake the rafters.
"Oh...and remember the indemnity clause you accepted when you signed the contract. No mention of today's events will find their way to Sgt. Sagara!!!"
A chant of "fight...fight...Fight...Fight...FIGHT...FIGHT..." started up and grew successfvely louder. Kurz was beside himself with joy.
"FightfightfightFightFightFightFIGHTFIGHTFIGHT...."
Sousuke had indeed made a VERY big mistake. Armed with a secret too good to keep...and faced with an opportunity too lucrative to pass up...Kurz had previously placed concealed digital cameras and listening devices in the designated arena. It was only a matter of time until the Greatest Show On Earth began.
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Wordlessly, but with his visage speaking loudly, Sousuke ushered his two companions unceremoniously into a secondary conference room. Once they were all inside, he gave them the lay of the land and showed them the breadth of his Law.
"Madame Captain. Miss Chidori. I welcome you. As you see, you will find within this room anything you will need to define the parameters of the mission to come. You will choose the future site as you see fit, and you shall be responsible for agreeing on the parties involved. I shall NOT referee. I shall NOT remain in the room. You will NOT be allowed to remain uncooperative." Sousuke was definitely NOT kidding around.
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Unbeknownst to Sousuke, he had a large and enthusiastic following that afternoon.
Egged on by Kurz, the crowd approached near frenzy levels. They began happily cheering Sousuke's name.
"Sousuke...Sousuke...Sousuke...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKE..."
"Lay down the LAW, man!"
"Sousuke...YOU ROCK!!!!!!"
Kurz smiled all the way to the bank.
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"The blackboard, the diagram projector, and the various paper products are all at your disposal. Computer access is available, and I will retrieve any texts or journals from the hard copy library that you might desire. Maps of Tokyo are available, as are sundry world maps. Non-traceable satellite phone access has been provided. The refrigerator has been stocked with mineral water, milk, and assorted juices. Snacks and more substantial freeze-dried meals have been provided. A First Aid kit is on the third shelf of the far left cabinet."
Sousuke stopped to look each young lady in the eyes, trying to make certain that they both took what he said seriously. "You will be sealed in. I will stand guard and you will NOT be intereupted...whether or not you might wish to be. If you finish in good time, before the designated target hour, you may buzz me for early review and release. I will check on your progress at the appointed time. If there has been no effective progress...I have reserved this room for two days and two nights."
Sousuke paused to let the full impact of that statement settle in. "Blankets have been provided, as have pillows of various weights and firmness. Rest room facilities have been unlocked at this room and locked-down at the adjacent conference room."
With those final words, Sousuke left the room and closed the door.
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At first, neither Kaname or Tessa looked at the other. They took time to check out the lay of the land, and they started marking their own territories.
Next, they worked up to looking in each other's general direction, still avoiding eye contact.
Finally, as the silence threatened to become deafening, Kaname began to speak. Hearing the first syllable from Kaname's mouth, Tessa rushed in with the first words. "I take it we are going to handle this like adults?"
"I plan to," Kaname said, in a level and reasonable tone, miffed that Tessa had pounced at the chance to speak first.
"As do I."
"Good."
"Yes."
More silence ensued, and three minutes passed before anyone spoke again.
With a trademark laugh, Kaname asked "Are we going to handle this by talking..."
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Kurz: "In this corner we have Miss Kaname Chidori. At 166 cm., Miss Chidori weighs in at 50 kg. She's a second year student at Jindai highchool and her hobbies include cooking and softball..."
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Acting as if she smelled something unpleasant, Tessa wrinkled her nose and frowned. "No one is stopping you."
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Kurz: "And in this corner, wearing the platinum hair, we have our own Captain Teletha Testarossa. At a height of 158cm, she weighs in at a whopping 45kg. She may be small in stature, but she HATES to lose...
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Kaname laughed again. "You misunderstand me...I just meant to say we could have Sousuke set up a couple of FAX machines...right?"
Tessa's resultant facial expression made Kaname smile. Kaname's smile made Tessa irate. "Oh...my...that is SO very mature. Instead, why don't we have Sousuke send us both in a large halisen...we could use his bruised head to send each other Morse Code!"
Kaname accepted the challenge, just as if she were facing a good pitcher in softball. "Wait...I have a MUCH better suggestion. Why don't we type each other notes on Mithril stationery. No...I'm sorry...THAT wouldn't work. We couldn't trust what the other one wrote! Right, Miss Financial Accountant?"
Tessa was also up to the challenge. If she could handle a room of grizzled old veterans, she could certainly hold her own with some young chit of a girl. "Of course...of course. But, I would then have to take YOUR paper and write some childish fiction on it before I returned it to you...oh, and I would have to lack the courage to sign my own name! And I would have to exaggerate wildly, because I certainly would have nothing to brag about!"
Kaname clenched her teeth slightly, but still manage to project an image of moderate serenity. "Well, Madame Captain...it's simply a matter of my not wanting to brag. I certainly could tell you a good many things, but I would not wish to make you jealous. Wait...I know...why don't I tell you AFTER you turn off all of the external listening devices!!!"
Tessa, thinking back to her own actions at the end of the Behemoth episode, narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. She then laughed an annoyingly gentile laugh, designed to make Kaname's laugh sound like something from the animal kingdom. "Jealousy...you have the gaul to talk about jealousy when you have to steal Sousuke's official papers because you are afraid of what he might write about me? And you misuse an emergency courier as part of a child's petty game?!"
"Petty!" Kaname almost literally spat the word. "You send an ambiguous fax to Sousuke suggesting he might have to leave his mission guarding me, hurting Sousuke, and you call ME petty?" Kaname's voice and pitch slowly rose. "But I would not want to restrict my options by labeling that petty. I would have to call that DESPERATE!!!"
Tessa looked exceedingly cross, and had to wait a moment before she spoke again. "Really...whatever you wish to believe...but at least I am not a big put on, or a coward! You're so afraid that Sousuke might fall for someone else, that you run him harder and faster than he is ready for. Then again, we should add 'insensitive,' as you obviously have no concern for HIM!!!"
"That's..." Kaname tried unsuccessfully for a rebuttal.
Triumphant, Tessa felt she was on a roll. "Of course, when you push him too fast, what happens...he stumbles or trips. THEN, you turn away from him when he fails to keep his feet! And, of course, I have no problem with clumsy people..."
Kaname had lost all pretense of civility. "Sure...sure...Captain Bligh!!! You stand there, while he watches his friends die...while he digs up painful things from his past...and you never let him have a normal life! I think I can REALLY hate you for what you do to him...you yank hard on his chain and train him to be an attack dog...and then you fuss at him when he doesn't come running to lick your...hand!"
Kaname had pushed Tessa's most sensitive button. "DO YOU THINK IT'S EASY TO BE IN COMMAND?!!! Do you think it's easy to make so many decisions...to direct so many lives...to hold so many responsibilities...and to have to live with so many consequences. I am a submarine designer and commander. You, if you work your hardest, might be fortunate to work in a Deli some day, building SUBMARINE SANDWHICHES!!!"
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Kurz: "We have a WINNER. And that one will pay 5:1 odds..."
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"Oh...THAT convenient excuse again. You are SO lame!" Kaname had taken a body blow, and was eager to return the favor. " 'Oh...Kaname...I use him up...but HE WANTS me too. If I didn't do it, someone else would...' " Why don't you just save him the time and shoot him YOURSELF!!! You've already stolen his life from him!"
Tessa was visibly shaken by that claim. "You are so self-centered. You have such an immature and narrow view of the world. Sousuke is a soldier. That is what he DOES. It is what he chooses to do. At least when he does well for us, we praise him and offer him gratitude. When he falters, we lift him back up again."
Tessa had to catch her breath, as her growing anger was making her breathing come fast and heavy. "But...what do YOU do??? When he makes a mistake, you yell at him or hit him! Then, not too much later, you make nice with him. Then, only a short while after that, you slam him again because he's not what YOU want him to be...at least for that minute on that day!!!"
Tessa walked up to Kaname and boldly looked her in the eye. "How's he supposed to live in a world with absolutely no constancy, with no single behavior he can trust?!!"
Kaname was taken aback at first, but rebounded with a fury of her own. "Constancy? CONSTANCY? Don't make me laugh!!! You send him from one island to one desert to one jungle to one city. From one crisis to another catastrophe. And you talk about constancy?"
Kaname had to refrain from lashing out physically. "At least when he is at school with me, he is in a place where he knows where he'll be and when he should be...not to mention with whom he should be...."
"Oh, that sounds so very utopian. But, who should he be...what will you allow him to be? Ah, I see...whoever YOU tell him to be! You won't be happy until you make him into something you want him to be...no matter what he might actually be...and regardless of whatever HE might want to be!"
Tessa smoothed her hair a moment before continuing. "And if he doesn't know yet what he wants and you continue to make all of his choices for him...you will be nothing more than a common thief, trying to steal his decisions from him!"
"No!" Kaname seethed. "But don't you do that very same thing, you hypocrite?! He's your subordinate. That's all the rules say he CAN be!!! But you try so very hard to make him your friend, wanting him to become even more than a friend. And when he does not come running fast enough to you, you abuse your power and try and pull him to you!"
Tessa had no opportunity to speak before Kaname continued. "Do you REALLY think he can come to care about someone who tampers with the rules that way? Someone like Sousuke who is so serious and proper? GET REAL!!!"
Both Tessa and Kaname stood panting, their thoughts seething like dark and foreboding clouds around them. Flashes of lightning showed in their eyes.
"Really, Miss Chidori." She used a quiet, controlled voice, almost devoid of pitch. "I am not surprised that someone who uses Sousuke's heart like a boomerang would think THAT way. I may do some things to get a rise out of Sousuke, but when I bring him back here, it's solely because the mission requires his presence."
Tessa walked over to the refrigerator, opened a bottle of water, and drank. "I want to care about him as much as you do, but I have to do what's right for many people. You want to be selfish and hold him to yourself...while I have to find the courage to continually send him from me, knowing he may never come back."
Tessa held up her hand, pulling a finger down for each point she made:
"Sgt. Sagara goes into battle voluntarily...he has to face life and death as one who kills, and one who may be killed...
"I, as the Captain, have to make life and death decisions, balancing in my palms more lives than you can ever know...
"You...you just have to worry about what skirt to wear and about who to assign to garbage duty!!!" Tessa did not have to purposely inject her voice with contempt.
Kaname was entering a realm beyond furious. "Don't you GET IT???!!!" She nearly screamed, catching Tessa off guard. "You're his CAPTAIN. That's all you CAN be. That's all you WILL be! THE CAPTAIN!!! I am somebody who can offer everything she has without breaking any rules!!!"
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Kurz: "Whoa...that one HURTS!!! Anyone ready to bet on the first act of violence...yes, yes, I will take all comers..."
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"Sure...everything. FOR HOW LONG? As long as he is intersting and convenient?!" Tessa was angry at Kaname for her own reasons, and angry at her for Sousuke's sake as well.
"What do you think you will do after highschool? Are you so certain that you won't just use him now, to feel the things you want to feel NOW? Do you ever consider his future...his needs? Part of Sousuke is still a child. He's just learning how to care again...trust again. He has been alone inside himself for so long. Are you going to end up destroying that trust when you become ready to throw him away for the next handsome face?"
"Why don't you just stop and THINK a minute, Miss Genius Testarossa?" Kaname was angry AND hurt now, and was ready to return the favor. "Just WHO do you think is the one who has brought back that caring...rediscovered that trust? ME!!! And who the Hell are YOU to talk about giving him something special and then taking it away?!!!"
Kaname looked so red in the face, that the saying "Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning" sprang into Tessa's mind illogically.
"Sousuke has found something special with ME! Who do you think is going to take that away? Who do you think already sent him some place where he can find a happiness he wouldn't find anywhere else...and will some day pull him away from that happiness when he has finished serving her purpose?! YOU!!!"
Kaname looked ready to explode when she continued. "He doesn't deserve to be chosen just because he is the only choice available. YOU only want him because he is CONVENIENT!"
"Convenient? You think he's convenient to get to know, convenient to reach..." Tessa retorted.
"CONVENIENT!!! He's the only sixteen year old boy around YOU. I could choose from a good many suitors, but I choose HIM. He is the only shot YOU have. And you would try to keep him away from anyone he gets close to, no matter how much she means to him!!!" Kaname's anger was mostly for Sousuke's sake now.
"I already told you that is NOT true!!!" Tessa was very close to shouting herself. Her voice had noticeably gone up a few octaves.
"NO!!! You have tried to convince yourself that it's not true. That's NOT the same thing."
"You are WRONG! There are wise and experienced people here who trust me and my judgement, people who could tell you how wrong you are."
"Oh, yes...respect you...humor you, is more like it!"
"No...respect. Who really respects YOU?!! You may be highly visible. You may be popular. But there are more important things than being loud and being pretty. Maybe that is what you think Sousuke wants. But do you really think that's what he deserves?!!!" Tessa's hands were on her hips, and she shook her head angrily.
"You know, Tesssssa...there is nothing wrong with being attractive! It certainly beats the alternative. I'm certain that Sousuke is attracted to me for who I am, not just how I look or how near he works to me. For my looks...AND for my strength."
Kaname walked slowly around Tessa, quite obviously judging her appearence. "Sousuke probably does NOT want some fragile china doll who would break when she falls, or is afraid to move because she might break a nail or break into a sweat!!! 'Oh...help me Sousuke...that mean old floor tripped me.' 'Oh...save me sergeant...I am a victim of gravity!!!' " Kaname laughed her loudest laugh. "At least he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life rescuing ME!" Those last words rang hollow in Kaname's ears. Would he?
"Let's not talk of victims! How many times are you going to play THAT trump card around him? 'Oh...save me Sousuke, so I can trap you into getting close to me and developing forced feelings for me!' You would use any opportunity to draw him close to you!!!"
"And what am I supposed to do?" Kaname asked. "Let myself get killed?"
Tessa's look answered her question for her.
"At least I can get MYSELF out of trouble. And, help Sousuke when HE needs it. You think we would have escaped that kidnapping, and that maniac, without MY help? But...what do you do...during the next crisis? You are so starved for attention, that you disregard his good judgement and get yourself captured! You almost got Sousuke KILLED!!!" Kaname could picture herself clubbing Tessa to within an inch of her life."
"I am NOT starved for attention. I receive more than enough attention here...and probably too much attention. The personnel on this submarine are fond of me for what I AM, not for some big exaggerated show I put on!" Tessa spoke with a strong sense of conviction.
"Sure. Sure! They're all SO fond of the cute little Captain. They are so happy to watch the little trained monkey in the Captain suit. Oh look...some one has trained the darling little thing to dance to the music and carry a cup for collections...Mr. Mardukas and Mr. Kalinin do such a nice job turning the handle on the hurdygurdy!"
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Kurz: "THAT one was below the belt!" Kurz looked at the clock. "Any one bet on a low blow in the second round?..."
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Kaname thought of something, and almost doubled over laughing. "Maybe YOU should send the Financial Department a bill for all those bananas!!!"
"At least I can wear the Captain's uniform and take the responsibility that comes with it. If you put on a uniform, no one would ever think of you as anything more than a crossing guard. Of course, you couldn't even do THAT job. You wouldn't let the people cross...you would be too frightened of abandonment!!!"
It was Tessa's turn to laugh, turning her face away as tears of amusement ran down her cheeks.
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Kurz: "Talk about your killer instinct! The house covers psychological abuse at 3:1...."
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"That's low!!! Even for for a pathetic NEEDY bitch!!!"
"Needy? Who's the one that was so starved for attention, that she tried to trick Sousuke into believing she was pregnant?"
"That was a JOKE, you complete and utter MORON! At least we can all assume that I can get pregnant. That's NOT possible with you...you're probably the only one of your species. Freak!"
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Seeing the brutal confrontation, a well-versed naturalist might think of an epic battle between a badger sow and a marauding wolverine. Kaname's black hair and white-striped shirt certainly fit the image of a badger. Tessa's silver hair and dark sweater might fit the image of the wolverine.
The scientic name for wolverine means 'glutton' in French...and Kamame would certain think Tessa was a glutton for punishment. However, knowing that the wolverine is nicknamed 'the hyena of the north,' Tessa might think that appelation better suited for Kaname and her laugh!!!
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Kaname changed tack, and said very quietly to Tessa "You cannot stand the fact that he wants to be with me and not you...can you?" Kaname looked at peace. She looked happy and almost serene at that moment.
Tessa also turned the volume down, getting a rather sly look in her eyes. Sweetly she asked "And how do you explain the prolonged tenderness we shared the other day, when we spent so MUCH time in each other's arms?"
Tessa chuckled, and licked her lips slowly. "I certainly did not order him to do THAT!"
Tessa thought she had struck a mighty blow, but Kaname reached into her purse, pulled out a number of photographs, and placed them on the floor at Tessa's feet. "Oh...I'm certain that was kindness and not attraction! Take a look at those pictures, you won't have to bend down...I left them at YOUR level."
Kaname smiled as Tessa picked up the photos. Kaname said "So...maybe you got some hugs from Sousuke...I suppose you EARNED them, considering the hardships you went through for everyone. But...I get hugs from Sousuke because of the way he feels about me in peaceful times AND hectic times."
Kaname paused, and walked over to the black board. She drew a large heart, and placed a large 'K' anda '&' and a large 'S' within it. She then wrote K--I--S--S on the board, with an arrow pointing to the heart. "And...Sousuke kissed me because he cares about me. You haven't even come close to kissing him, have you?"
Tessa grabbed the chalk from kaname's hand and walked over to the blackboard herself. She crossed out the heart. She wrote 'It's just a matter of time' and drew an arrow towards KISS. "Not Yet..." she said teasingly.
"NOT EVER!!!!!!" Kaname yelled, grabbing one of the pillows and hitting Tessa fiercely on the side of the head, sending her into and over a metal folding chair.
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Kurz: "First blood!...Ok...who gets next...."
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Growling, Kaname continued with her assault. "You won't EVER kiss him (whack!)"
Tessa, blood in her eye, struck back tentatively...this sort of physical expression was new to her. But, she definitely did not want to lose. "Oh...you think you OWN him (smack)? You think he will only care for someone like YOU? (whack!!!)?"
Kaname laughed. "You call THAT an attack? Do you think that Sousuke (smack!) could ACTUALLY care (whack!) for someone so utterly WEAK (slam!!!) and PATHETIC (big time whack!!!)?"
Tessa was NOT about to back down. She was NOT going to lose. "I admit (whack!)...you have the advantage in fighting (smack!)...since you are always (smack!) HITTING Sousuke (whack!)."
Tessa stepped forward, to make better use of her shorter reach. "Why should he care (whack) for someone who tries so hard to drive him away one minute (whack!)...and who then seems pathologically afraid he might leave her the next (smack!)?"
Kaname put her pillow down for a moment and smiled, infuriating Tessa. "The love I show Sousuke in the good moments we share will touch his heart in ways you never will, no matter how hard you try...no matter how many orders you give!"
Kaname lowered her head in front of Tessa, inviting her to strike. "And," she added triumphantly, "the more time we share, the more intimacy were learn together...the more intimacy we learn together, the longer the good times will be. I have that to look forward to!"
Tessa had an evil look in her eye. She walked over to the blackboard, drew a large question mark, and walked back again. "Yes...but for HOW LONG???" She quite obviously baited Kaname. "Your life will continue on...but Sousuke's mission will end. Do you really think he would give up the world he knows, the world he has always known, just for you? DO YOU?!!!"
Kaname growled low in her throat. "I don't know. But at least I can hope. That's more than you can ever do. That's more than some desperate stick of a girl like you can EVER have!!!"
Tessa swung her pillow wildly, missing and tripping over Kaname's pillow.
"Yes...you missed. You missed me, just like you have missed your chance with Sousuke!!!"
Tessa stood up, brushed herself off, and smiled. "Are you really sure? Are you? When he chooses to come back here to his HOME...I will be here. AND...I will not have to stay a Captain forever. I won't even have to stay in uniform . With my knowledge and experience, I will make an excellent and coveted consultant!"
"IN YOUR DREAMS!" Kaname said.
"No. Kaname dear...In YOUR nightmares!!!"
Seeing Kaname shake her head, concerned, Tessa twisted the verbal knife. "In actuality, I should probably thank you," she said with a sickening amount of saccharine.
"I should probably pay you a finder's fee. You helped Sousuke find a part of himself that he was unaware of. You helped him touch a place within him he probably didn't even know existed. As a result, I won't have to work so hard when he comes back here! Thank you!"
Tessa laughed, seeing Kaname's expression. "Yes, the things you have taught him...we will share them when he returns. You might even end up getting more than a kiss. I will be jealous, of course...initially. You might get him first, but I will get to enjoy him...forever!!!"
Kaname became enraged, swinging her pillow harder and harder, bruising Tessa's face , knocking loose her ear rings, and totally destroying her sculptured hairdo. "He's NOT just some prize (smack!)...he's someone very special (whack!)...and he cares about ME (smack smack whack!)...you wishful (whack)...little (whack!)...BITCH (whack whack whack whack whack!!!)!"
Tessa, reacting with some instinctual desire to survive, leapt upon Kaname, beating her with her fists. She pulled Kaname's blouse up over her head---tearing it severely in the process---and began hitting her with a pillow until feathers started to fly.
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Kurz: "You gotta see it to believe it...that one gets bonus points for ferocity. Who had dibs on first take-down?..."
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Just as abruptly as she started her assault, Tessa stopped. She backed away. "After considering things a bit more...I don't think I will wait for you to sample all of Sousuke first. I think I will just take the baton from you and run with it, clumsy as I may be!"
Tessa had simply switched her attack to verbal blows. "You got the puck moving, Kaname, the crowd will give you that. Be happy with the assist you get credited with when I score! Or...should I say...when Sousuke and I score TOGETHER! "
Tessa backed away a bit when Kaname stood up and adjustered her rended shirt. "Perhaps I will send you another 'URGENT' note to let you know when! But...I'm afraid that with my being such a desperate needy little bitch, I won't have the courage to send him away from me any more...once we have shared certain things."
Tessa ran to the other side of the room, trying to keep a table between her and a white-faced Kaname. "Enjoy whatever hurried and clumsy moments you still can, Kaname. I can afford to take my time...."
After that, Kaname slid across the top of the table, taking herself and Tessa to the floor. The pillows began to swing fiercely again, continuing until there was nothing intact left to swing. Both combatants lay exhausted against the wall, breathing heavily, completely covered and surrounded by feathers and occasional clothing fragments.
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Kurz: "OH YEH!! It doesn't get any better than this...I hope you gentlemen rember to tip your host well tonight...."
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The loud shouts and physical noises that Sousuke had been hearing all along certainly troubled him. But it was the silence that caused his imagination to run amok.
Thinking a moment, he grew concerned about his plan. He had thought that a time of quiet relection might help the two young women settle down and think things out. Sousuke now worried that he had given them TOO MUCH time to think, and hoped that they had not used that time to take inventory of their grievances and build up their anger.
He had left sharp and heavy items in the room, as well as furniture with treacherous edges. He could picture one or both of the girls laying in a pool of blood. When his thoughts got ridiculously fanciful, he saw them drowning in a pool of each other's abdominal contents. He should check in on them just to be on the safe side. After all...the calm may simply indicate that they are working constructively together.
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"Have you reached an agreement about the particulars of the contest?" Sousuke asked as he strode into the war-torn conference room. He was soon shocked by what he saw.
Neither of the brusied and battered girls saw fit to answer.
"Have you even tried to discuss it?" Sousuke began to sound angry.
Both girls looked away from Sousuke. Kaname realized just how much she had let her pride and her emotions control her.
"I left the assignment and the fate of many people in the hands of my submarine commander and my student class representative...was I mistaken to do so?
Both girls looked embarrassed. Tessa looked at her hands...finding it hard she had done any of the things she did. All of the things she did. She felt she was waking from some sort of dream.
"I see...I make an effort to assist two people who are very importantant to me...and they only worry about themselves!" Sousuke's dissapointment was almost tangible enough to touch.
Both girls looked up at him, sheepishly. Both wished they could rewind the whole thing and start over again, knowing what they knew then.
"I thought this opportunity might give you an outlet to act responsibly and diffuse away your anger and envy. I had hoped that you would discover a common ground and reach a compromise acceptable to both of you...an understanding best for everyone."
"Sous-" Kamname started.
"I have to admit I was arrogant and foolish. I had thought that you both might care enough about me to put aside your differences. This whole conflict is difficult for me. I never know what to expect."
Tessa too tried to get a word in "Sousuke...I'm...I'm..."
"This is all just like a battle. I get a little bit of information, and I am thrown here and knocked there...I have to keep moving just to stay in one piece! But, at least battles end! This seems as if it will never end!" Sousuke turned, angrily rubbing at his own hair.
"Sousuke...wait...It's NOT because I don't care" Kaname said desperately. "It's because I am afraid to lose you...and I was trying to protect you...."
"We all lose things, Kaname. I could have lost my life today. I may lose it tomorrow. But...Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin has helped me understand that it's not whether or not I am alive to fight...it's how I live while I'm still alive."
Sousuke looked intently at Kaname, turned and did the same to Tessa. "I do not want everything in my life to be a battle!!! I am growing beyond that...and I am growing tired of that...."
"Yes...I suppose we at Mithril have used you very hard as a soldier, Sousuke...but that was NOT personal. You would never let me have even the slightest hope of anything personal." Tessa sounded defensive and dejected at the same time.
"Tessa...there are still many things I am trying to understand. I have told you that before."
Sousuke walked over to Kaname. "Kaname...when you say you do not want to lose me...that does make me happy. But can you understand that your fear is about something you want for yourself?"
"Sousuke..." Kaname started.
"Please," Sousuke continued. " Tessa...you are thinking so much about who you want, that you forget to ask what that person might want."
Souskuke walked over to the door, and turned back to face them both. "I will say one last thing. I will hope that the two of you will do ME the favor of coming to terms here today. If that is not possible, then you may both find that there is no longer anything left to fight over." Sousuke left and closed the door.
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Crowd: "Sousuke...Sousuke...Sousuke...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKESOUSUIKESOUSUKE!!! Whoo Whoo Whooooo...."
Pandemonium!!!
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The final pronouncement and all the weight it carried fell like the proverbial ton of bricks. But, in this instance, it fell along with a rain of mortar, seailng the bricks together, and forming a cold and lonely prison cell for each of the two occupants. Both Kaname and Tessa wondered if they would lose their chance at EVERYTHING...or whether or not a stay of execution might be granted.
"Kaname..." Tessa eventually offered. "I will admit that you know Sousuke better personally than I do. Do you think he is serious...or was his speech only a calculated attempt at getting us to work together?"
"I don't know, Tessa. But...I know I care too much about him to even take the slightest risk. Everything he said was very true. And...and...I feel SO ashamed!" Kaname began to cry silently.
Tessa too looked crestfallen. "I do too. I have been his commander through many things good and bad. I've seen him in triumph and defeat. And I NEVER realized just what depth of feeling he might have. He is so hard and unyielding on the outside that I always assumed he would be cold and unfeeling on the inside."
Kaname perked up a little, even managing a small smile. Softly she said "Aha...you see that now. You were after him when you thought he was cold and unfeeling. Does that mean you no longer want him now that you realize he's not?"
"Oh no...certainly not...I may have been desperate and needy then. But now I have a really good and normal reason to want him...."
Tessa winked.
"Oh..." The two of them looked at each other, and then tentatively smiled together.
"Uh huh. Maybe we should go back to what I said when we had finished our troubles with A21." Tessa offered.
"Yes...let the best woman win." Kaname finished the thought. "I agree. And I thank you. I never expected you to gift wrap Sousuke that way for me!!!" She laughed quietly, playfully.
Kaname smiled.
Tessa smiled.
"We are both TOTALLY hopeless, aren't we?" Kaname asked.
"No" Tessa said. "Not hopeless. Hopeful."
After that, they got down to work.
*************************************************************
"Awwww...what a touching Kodak moment" Kurz said, watching Kaname and Tessa make their first attempts at reconciliation.
Kurz then turned to address the now milling group of men. "Remember...copies of today's once-in-a-lifetime event will be available for a small fee. And, all rights and privileges pertaining to this program remain the property of the Amazing Kurz Weber! Oh yeh!"
Kurz was surprised to be answered by dead silence. Turning, he saw Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin standing at the open doorway.
"Security had been rather concerned about the level of noise coming from this room, Sgt. Weber. They were equally concerned to find the door locked and effectively barricaded. They were in fact concerned enough to bring matters to my attention. I am grateful that someone chose to open the door for us."
Kurz was visibly wilting more and more with each passing moment.
"I must say that I feel highly insulted that I was not invited to attend this gala event" Even the dullest knife in the drawer would catch that sacasm. "To start with, you may make up for it by supplying me with ALL audio and video recordings of the events."
Kalinin turned to face the crowd of soldiers and sailors. "The remainder of you...gentlemen---" Kalinin said slowly and deliberately memorizing the face of every man present "---are welcome to remain with Sgt. Weber if you like. Otherwise, I strongly suggest that you find something useful to do, lest we decide to fund future combat operations by means of payroll deductions!"
The men scattered like cockroaches surprised by the first beams of a kitchen light.
Kalinin turned his attention to Kurz. "Sgt Weber. I have recently learned that our busy and dependable kitchen staff is short-handed and in need of some help. I am certain you can find something to do that would be of great service to them. For the next three days. In fact, you may consider it to be an order. Oh, and sergeant..."
"Yes, sir?"
"Be certain that you wash your hands thoroughly!"
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Kurz' bad luck was about to get worse. Lt. Concepcion...with an expectant and concerned looking medical corpsman in tow...was seen headed in the direction of the kitchen.
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Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin, in a rare moment of levity, returned to his office and put a call through to Sgt. Major Mao. He made it a point to describe the latest activities of the two AS pilots under her supervision. The resulting laughter did more to improve her condition than any of the medicines and therapies she had received up to that point. Things were definitely beginning to look up. Now, if only Sousuke would send that beer...
*************************************************************
The Chief Mechanic left the graphics department, having picked up a decal he had commisioned them to design and create for him. The decal displayed the day's date, and in yellow letters proudly spelled out Sousuke's name and rank. It was a large purple heart. Bobo walked into the hangar, climbed up the stairs to the ARX-7, and placed the decal on Sousuke's Arm Slave.
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more coming
Little remained standing...or alive, for that matter...in the sprawling jungle enclave that once supported a thriving population of radical Islamic extremists. Following the successful blitzkrieg at that site, the attacking forces pushed aggressively across the Straits of Malaca to bring thunder and lightning to the splinter groups operating on the Indonesia island of Sumatra.
Sousuke's recent worries and remembrances had not discomforted him or effected his combat effectiveness in the slightest manner. Rather, his growing level of confidence in himself and his pending scheme helped galvanize both him and his actions.
The assault force arrived at the TDD-1 three days later than originally scheduled, as the quick and utter successful outcome of their strikes led to an extended course of action in Singapore and Southeast Asia. The rumored tactical nuclear weapons were not dicovered, but there was value in the destruction of so many terrorist nests. And who could say what intelligence bonanza might be awaiting them when captured materials were sifted through.
When Sousuke stepped down from the ARX-7, he was pleased to see that Kaname was waiting. Kaname had to fight the urge to run to the returning soldier. She also had to fight the urge to scold him when she saw the showy but inconsequential external damage on Arbalest. In the crowded hangar, she refrained from leaping on him and hugging him around the neck; but, she did spare him a large smile, which grew larger when he kissed her cheek. He was happy to see her too.
Chatting light-heartedly as they walked, Sousuke led Kaname through the hallway and up to Tessa's quarters. After gathering up Tessa, the group continued silently to Sousuke's chosen destination. He tried hard not to think of it as an arena or field of battle. The dagger-looks he saw pass between the two girls accompanying him did not raise his level of confidence. Neither did their body language. Sousuke felt a sense of impending doom. Early explorers stumbling upon cannabalistic gourmands deep in nameless jungles could not have felt more uneasy.
Sousuke's new found confidence was quickly taking on water, but he was too busy to bail it out.
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Following Sousuke, and trying not too look at Tessa, Kaname walked along with an uneasy step, listening to her own inner monologue. "I will not lose my cool around HER. I will not let her win. Some day Sousuke will PAY!!!" She repeated that mantra again and again, wondering how it might sound set to music.
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Tessa too had her own silent soliloquy. "Maintain calm. Maintain dignity. I will not give into anger. I will not allow THAT girl the slightest bit of satisfaction." She stood tall and triumphant in her vision, while Kaname lay curled up in a weeping ball on the floor.
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Kurz stood in place as the master of ceremonies at the front of the crowded Engineering conference room. A select number of eager male crew members watched him with barely disguised impatience and expectation.
"You are probably wondering why I have gathered you here together..." Kurz started sarcastically, waving to a large speaker and a flat screen television monitor. Lights on nearby recording devices indicated that the machines were on and ready for business.
"YEH!!!" "Let's get on with it!!!" "Do it...Do it!!!" The responses formed a thunderous chorus.
"Having received your generous entry fees and contributions to the 'Kurz Weber Manly Wig Foundation,' I shall soon be able to hold my head up high again." Kurz was enjoying himself---and a seemingly endless supply of alcoholic beverages--even before the main event began.
Snickers and good-natured laughter answered his flamboyant statement.
"I will draw your attention to the blackboard. You will note the varied categories. FIRST VERBAL STRIKE......FIRST PHYSICAL CONTACT......MOST DEVASTATING INSULT......LOWEST BLOW......MOST TOUCHING MOMENT......And so forth and so on. Those who wish to bet may place wagers on who will first have their name written in those boxes, or can wager as often as they like in an ongoing fashion, betting on the next entry in each category. Your money is good here, gentlemen!!!" The men listened intently, getting a good feel for the game to come.
"The odds for each minor event is written in the corresponding box, and those odds will be subject to change as the contest continues. You can, if you like, wager on the most lucrative outcome, the one that says the two lovely ladies will settle their differences in an amicable and responsible manner." Kurz' voice left no doubt how unlikely he thought that outcome would be.
A large "BOOOOOOO......." followed that option.
"Don't worry," Kurz said in consoling fashion, "Knowing both ladies, I think that we will have a most excellent show today!"
Applause and raucous whistles threatened to shake the rafters.
"Oh...and remember the indemnity clause you accepted when you signed the contract. No mention of today's events will find their way to Sgt. Sagara!!!"
A chant of "fight...fight...Fight...Fight...FIGHT...FIGHT..." started up and grew successfvely louder. Kurz was beside himself with joy.
"FightfightfightFightFightFightFIGHTFIGHTFIGHT...."
Sousuke had indeed made a VERY big mistake. Armed with a secret too good to keep...and faced with an opportunity too lucrative to pass up...Kurz had previously placed concealed digital cameras and listening devices in the designated arena. It was only a matter of time until the Greatest Show On Earth began.
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Wordlessly, but with his visage speaking loudly, Sousuke ushered his two companions unceremoniously into a secondary conference room. Once they were all inside, he gave them the lay of the land and showed them the breadth of his Law.
"Madame Captain. Miss Chidori. I welcome you. As you see, you will find within this room anything you will need to define the parameters of the mission to come. You will choose the future site as you see fit, and you shall be responsible for agreeing on the parties involved. I shall NOT referee. I shall NOT remain in the room. You will NOT be allowed to remain uncooperative." Sousuke was definitely NOT kidding around.
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Unbeknownst to Sousuke, he had a large and enthusiastic following that afternoon.
Egged on by Kurz, the crowd approached near frenzy levels. They began happily cheering Sousuke's name.
"Sousuke...Sousuke...Sousuke...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKE..."
"Lay down the LAW, man!"
"Sousuke...YOU ROCK!!!!!!"
Kurz smiled all the way to the bank.
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"The blackboard, the diagram projector, and the various paper products are all at your disposal. Computer access is available, and I will retrieve any texts or journals from the hard copy library that you might desire. Maps of Tokyo are available, as are sundry world maps. Non-traceable satellite phone access has been provided. The refrigerator has been stocked with mineral water, milk, and assorted juices. Snacks and more substantial freeze-dried meals have been provided. A First Aid kit is on the third shelf of the far left cabinet."
Sousuke stopped to look each young lady in the eyes, trying to make certain that they both took what he said seriously. "You will be sealed in. I will stand guard and you will NOT be intereupted...whether or not you might wish to be. If you finish in good time, before the designated target hour, you may buzz me for early review and release. I will check on your progress at the appointed time. If there has been no effective progress...I have reserved this room for two days and two nights."
Sousuke paused to let the full impact of that statement settle in. "Blankets have been provided, as have pillows of various weights and firmness. Rest room facilities have been unlocked at this room and locked-down at the adjacent conference room."
With those final words, Sousuke left the room and closed the door.
*************************************************************
At first, neither Kaname or Tessa looked at the other. They took time to check out the lay of the land, and they started marking their own territories.
Next, they worked up to looking in each other's general direction, still avoiding eye contact.
Finally, as the silence threatened to become deafening, Kaname began to speak. Hearing the first syllable from Kaname's mouth, Tessa rushed in with the first words. "I take it we are going to handle this like adults?"
"I plan to," Kaname said, in a level and reasonable tone, miffed that Tessa had pounced at the chance to speak first.
"As do I."
"Good."
"Yes."
More silence ensued, and three minutes passed before anyone spoke again.
With a trademark laugh, Kaname asked "Are we going to handle this by talking..."
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Kurz: "In this corner we have Miss Kaname Chidori. At 166 cm., Miss Chidori weighs in at 50 kg. She's a second year student at Jindai highchool and her hobbies include cooking and softball..."
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Acting as if she smelled something unpleasant, Tessa wrinkled her nose and frowned. "No one is stopping you."
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Kurz: "And in this corner, wearing the platinum hair, we have our own Captain Teletha Testarossa. At a height of 158cm, she weighs in at a whopping 45kg. She may be small in stature, but she HATES to lose...
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Kaname laughed again. "You misunderstand me...I just meant to say we could have Sousuke set up a couple of FAX machines...right?"
Tessa's resultant facial expression made Kaname smile. Kaname's smile made Tessa irate. "Oh...my...that is SO very mature. Instead, why don't we have Sousuke send us both in a large halisen...we could use his bruised head to send each other Morse Code!"
Kaname accepted the challenge, just as if she were facing a good pitcher in softball. "Wait...I have a MUCH better suggestion. Why don't we type each other notes on Mithril stationery. No...I'm sorry...THAT wouldn't work. We couldn't trust what the other one wrote! Right, Miss Financial Accountant?"
Tessa was also up to the challenge. If she could handle a room of grizzled old veterans, she could certainly hold her own with some young chit of a girl. "Of course...of course. But, I would then have to take YOUR paper and write some childish fiction on it before I returned it to you...oh, and I would have to lack the courage to sign my own name! And I would have to exaggerate wildly, because I certainly would have nothing to brag about!"
Kaname clenched her teeth slightly, but still manage to project an image of moderate serenity. "Well, Madame Captain...it's simply a matter of my not wanting to brag. I certainly could tell you a good many things, but I would not wish to make you jealous. Wait...I know...why don't I tell you AFTER you turn off all of the external listening devices!!!"
Tessa, thinking back to her own actions at the end of the Behemoth episode, narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. She then laughed an annoyingly gentile laugh, designed to make Kaname's laugh sound like something from the animal kingdom. "Jealousy...you have the gaul to talk about jealousy when you have to steal Sousuke's official papers because you are afraid of what he might write about me? And you misuse an emergency courier as part of a child's petty game?!"
"Petty!" Kaname almost literally spat the word. "You send an ambiguous fax to Sousuke suggesting he might have to leave his mission guarding me, hurting Sousuke, and you call ME petty?" Kaname's voice and pitch slowly rose. "But I would not want to restrict my options by labeling that petty. I would have to call that DESPERATE!!!"
Tessa looked exceedingly cross, and had to wait a moment before she spoke again. "Really...whatever you wish to believe...but at least I am not a big put on, or a coward! You're so afraid that Sousuke might fall for someone else, that you run him harder and faster than he is ready for. Then again, we should add 'insensitive,' as you obviously have no concern for HIM!!!"
"That's..." Kaname tried unsuccessfully for a rebuttal.
Triumphant, Tessa felt she was on a roll. "Of course, when you push him too fast, what happens...he stumbles or trips. THEN, you turn away from him when he fails to keep his feet! And, of course, I have no problem with clumsy people..."
Kaname had lost all pretense of civility. "Sure...sure...Captain Bligh!!! You stand there, while he watches his friends die...while he digs up painful things from his past...and you never let him have a normal life! I think I can REALLY hate you for what you do to him...you yank hard on his chain and train him to be an attack dog...and then you fuss at him when he doesn't come running to lick your...hand!"
Kaname had pushed Tessa's most sensitive button. "DO YOU THINK IT'S EASY TO BE IN COMMAND?!!! Do you think it's easy to make so many decisions...to direct so many lives...to hold so many responsibilities...and to have to live with so many consequences. I am a submarine designer and commander. You, if you work your hardest, might be fortunate to work in a Deli some day, building SUBMARINE SANDWHICHES!!!"
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Kurz: "We have a WINNER. And that one will pay 5:1 odds..."
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"Oh...THAT convenient excuse again. You are SO lame!" Kaname had taken a body blow, and was eager to return the favor. " 'Oh...Kaname...I use him up...but HE WANTS me too. If I didn't do it, someone else would...' " Why don't you just save him the time and shoot him YOURSELF!!! You've already stolen his life from him!"
Tessa was visibly shaken by that claim. "You are so self-centered. You have such an immature and narrow view of the world. Sousuke is a soldier. That is what he DOES. It is what he chooses to do. At least when he does well for us, we praise him and offer him gratitude. When he falters, we lift him back up again."
Tessa had to catch her breath, as her growing anger was making her breathing come fast and heavy. "But...what do YOU do??? When he makes a mistake, you yell at him or hit him! Then, not too much later, you make nice with him. Then, only a short while after that, you slam him again because he's not what YOU want him to be...at least for that minute on that day!!!"
Tessa walked up to Kaname and boldly looked her in the eye. "How's he supposed to live in a world with absolutely no constancy, with no single behavior he can trust?!!"
Kaname was taken aback at first, but rebounded with a fury of her own. "Constancy? CONSTANCY? Don't make me laugh!!! You send him from one island to one desert to one jungle to one city. From one crisis to another catastrophe. And you talk about constancy?"
Kaname had to refrain from lashing out physically. "At least when he is at school with me, he is in a place where he knows where he'll be and when he should be...not to mention with whom he should be...."
"Oh, that sounds so very utopian. But, who should he be...what will you allow him to be? Ah, I see...whoever YOU tell him to be! You won't be happy until you make him into something you want him to be...no matter what he might actually be...and regardless of whatever HE might want to be!"
Tessa smoothed her hair a moment before continuing. "And if he doesn't know yet what he wants and you continue to make all of his choices for him...you will be nothing more than a common thief, trying to steal his decisions from him!"
"No!" Kaname seethed. "But don't you do that very same thing, you hypocrite?! He's your subordinate. That's all the rules say he CAN be!!! But you try so very hard to make him your friend, wanting him to become even more than a friend. And when he does not come running fast enough to you, you abuse your power and try and pull him to you!"
Tessa had no opportunity to speak before Kaname continued. "Do you REALLY think he can come to care about someone who tampers with the rules that way? Someone like Sousuke who is so serious and proper? GET REAL!!!"
Both Tessa and Kaname stood panting, their thoughts seething like dark and foreboding clouds around them. Flashes of lightning showed in their eyes.
"Really, Miss Chidori." She used a quiet, controlled voice, almost devoid of pitch. "I am not surprised that someone who uses Sousuke's heart like a boomerang would think THAT way. I may do some things to get a rise out of Sousuke, but when I bring him back here, it's solely because the mission requires his presence."
Tessa walked over to the refrigerator, opened a bottle of water, and drank. "I want to care about him as much as you do, but I have to do what's right for many people. You want to be selfish and hold him to yourself...while I have to find the courage to continually send him from me, knowing he may never come back."
Tessa held up her hand, pulling a finger down for each point she made:
"Sgt. Sagara goes into battle voluntarily...he has to face life and death as one who kills, and one who may be killed...
"I, as the Captain, have to make life and death decisions, balancing in my palms more lives than you can ever know...
"You...you just have to worry about what skirt to wear and about who to assign to garbage duty!!!" Tessa did not have to purposely inject her voice with contempt.
Kaname was entering a realm beyond furious. "Don't you GET IT???!!!" She nearly screamed, catching Tessa off guard. "You're his CAPTAIN. That's all you CAN be. That's all you WILL be! THE CAPTAIN!!! I am somebody who can offer everything she has without breaking any rules!!!"
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Kurz: "Whoa...that one HURTS!!! Anyone ready to bet on the first act of violence...yes, yes, I will take all comers..."
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"Sure...everything. FOR HOW LONG? As long as he is intersting and convenient?!" Tessa was angry at Kaname for her own reasons, and angry at her for Sousuke's sake as well.
"What do you think you will do after highschool? Are you so certain that you won't just use him now, to feel the things you want to feel NOW? Do you ever consider his future...his needs? Part of Sousuke is still a child. He's just learning how to care again...trust again. He has been alone inside himself for so long. Are you going to end up destroying that trust when you become ready to throw him away for the next handsome face?"
"Why don't you just stop and THINK a minute, Miss Genius Testarossa?" Kaname was angry AND hurt now, and was ready to return the favor. "Just WHO do you think is the one who has brought back that caring...rediscovered that trust? ME!!! And who the Hell are YOU to talk about giving him something special and then taking it away?!!!"
Kaname looked so red in the face, that the saying "Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning" sprang into Tessa's mind illogically.
"Sousuke has found something special with ME! Who do you think is going to take that away? Who do you think already sent him some place where he can find a happiness he wouldn't find anywhere else...and will some day pull him away from that happiness when he has finished serving her purpose?! YOU!!!"
Kaname looked ready to explode when she continued. "He doesn't deserve to be chosen just because he is the only choice available. YOU only want him because he is CONVENIENT!"
"Convenient? You think he's convenient to get to know, convenient to reach..." Tessa retorted.
"CONVENIENT!!! He's the only sixteen year old boy around YOU. I could choose from a good many suitors, but I choose HIM. He is the only shot YOU have. And you would try to keep him away from anyone he gets close to, no matter how much she means to him!!!" Kaname's anger was mostly for Sousuke's sake now.
"I already told you that is NOT true!!!" Tessa was very close to shouting herself. Her voice had noticeably gone up a few octaves.
"NO!!! You have tried to convince yourself that it's not true. That's NOT the same thing."
"You are WRONG! There are wise and experienced people here who trust me and my judgement, people who could tell you how wrong you are."
"Oh, yes...respect you...humor you, is more like it!"
"No...respect. Who really respects YOU?!! You may be highly visible. You may be popular. But there are more important things than being loud and being pretty. Maybe that is what you think Sousuke wants. But do you really think that's what he deserves?!!!" Tessa's hands were on her hips, and she shook her head angrily.
"You know, Tesssssa...there is nothing wrong with being attractive! It certainly beats the alternative. I'm certain that Sousuke is attracted to me for who I am, not just how I look or how near he works to me. For my looks...AND for my strength."
Kaname walked slowly around Tessa, quite obviously judging her appearence. "Sousuke probably does NOT want some fragile china doll who would break when she falls, or is afraid to move because she might break a nail or break into a sweat!!! 'Oh...help me Sousuke...that mean old floor tripped me.' 'Oh...save me sergeant...I am a victim of gravity!!!' " Kaname laughed her loudest laugh. "At least he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life rescuing ME!" Those last words rang hollow in Kaname's ears. Would he?
"Let's not talk of victims! How many times are you going to play THAT trump card around him? 'Oh...save me Sousuke, so I can trap you into getting close to me and developing forced feelings for me!' You would use any opportunity to draw him close to you!!!"
"And what am I supposed to do?" Kaname asked. "Let myself get killed?"
Tessa's look answered her question for her.
"At least I can get MYSELF out of trouble. And, help Sousuke when HE needs it. You think we would have escaped that kidnapping, and that maniac, without MY help? But...what do you do...during the next crisis? You are so starved for attention, that you disregard his good judgement and get yourself captured! You almost got Sousuke KILLED!!!" Kaname could picture herself clubbing Tessa to within an inch of her life."
"I am NOT starved for attention. I receive more than enough attention here...and probably too much attention. The personnel on this submarine are fond of me for what I AM, not for some big exaggerated show I put on!" Tessa spoke with a strong sense of conviction.
"Sure. Sure! They're all SO fond of the cute little Captain. They are so happy to watch the little trained monkey in the Captain suit. Oh look...some one has trained the darling little thing to dance to the music and carry a cup for collections...Mr. Mardukas and Mr. Kalinin do such a nice job turning the handle on the hurdygurdy!"
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Kurz: "THAT one was below the belt!" Kurz looked at the clock. "Any one bet on a low blow in the second round?..."
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Kaname thought of something, and almost doubled over laughing. "Maybe YOU should send the Financial Department a bill for all those bananas!!!"
"At least I can wear the Captain's uniform and take the responsibility that comes with it. If you put on a uniform, no one would ever think of you as anything more than a crossing guard. Of course, you couldn't even do THAT job. You wouldn't let the people cross...you would be too frightened of abandonment!!!"
It was Tessa's turn to laugh, turning her face away as tears of amusement ran down her cheeks.
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Kurz: "Talk about your killer instinct! The house covers psychological abuse at 3:1...."
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"That's low!!! Even for for a pathetic NEEDY bitch!!!"
"Needy? Who's the one that was so starved for attention, that she tried to trick Sousuke into believing she was pregnant?"
"That was a JOKE, you complete and utter MORON! At least we can all assume that I can get pregnant. That's NOT possible with you...you're probably the only one of your species. Freak!"
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Seeing the brutal confrontation, a well-versed naturalist might think of an epic battle between a badger sow and a marauding wolverine. Kaname's black hair and white-striped shirt certainly fit the image of a badger. Tessa's silver hair and dark sweater might fit the image of the wolverine.
The scientic name for wolverine means 'glutton' in French...and Kamame would certain think Tessa was a glutton for punishment. However, knowing that the wolverine is nicknamed 'the hyena of the north,' Tessa might think that appelation better suited for Kaname and her laugh!!!
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Kaname changed tack, and said very quietly to Tessa "You cannot stand the fact that he wants to be with me and not you...can you?" Kaname looked at peace. She looked happy and almost serene at that moment.
Tessa also turned the volume down, getting a rather sly look in her eyes. Sweetly she asked "And how do you explain the prolonged tenderness we shared the other day, when we spent so MUCH time in each other's arms?"
Tessa chuckled, and licked her lips slowly. "I certainly did not order him to do THAT!"
Tessa thought she had struck a mighty blow, but Kaname reached into her purse, pulled out a number of photographs, and placed them on the floor at Tessa's feet. "Oh...I'm certain that was kindness and not attraction! Take a look at those pictures, you won't have to bend down...I left them at YOUR level."
Kaname smiled as Tessa picked up the photos. Kaname said "So...maybe you got some hugs from Sousuke...I suppose you EARNED them, considering the hardships you went through for everyone. But...I get hugs from Sousuke because of the way he feels about me in peaceful times AND hectic times."
Kaname paused, and walked over to the black board. She drew a large heart, and placed a large 'K' anda '&' and a large 'S' within it. She then wrote K--I--S--S on the board, with an arrow pointing to the heart. "And...Sousuke kissed me because he cares about me. You haven't even come close to kissing him, have you?"
Tessa grabbed the chalk from kaname's hand and walked over to the blackboard herself. She crossed out the heart. She wrote 'It's just a matter of time' and drew an arrow towards KISS. "Not Yet..." she said teasingly.
"NOT EVER!!!!!!" Kaname yelled, grabbing one of the pillows and hitting Tessa fiercely on the side of the head, sending her into and over a metal folding chair.
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Kurz: "First blood!...Ok...who gets next...."
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Growling, Kaname continued with her assault. "You won't EVER kiss him (whack!)"
Tessa, blood in her eye, struck back tentatively...this sort of physical expression was new to her. But, she definitely did not want to lose. "Oh...you think you OWN him (smack)? You think he will only care for someone like YOU? (whack!!!)?"
Kaname laughed. "You call THAT an attack? Do you think that Sousuke (smack!) could ACTUALLY care (whack!) for someone so utterly WEAK (slam!!!) and PATHETIC (big time whack!!!)?"
Tessa was NOT about to back down. She was NOT going to lose. "I admit (whack!)...you have the advantage in fighting (smack!)...since you are always (smack!) HITTING Sousuke (whack!)."
Tessa stepped forward, to make better use of her shorter reach. "Why should he care (whack) for someone who tries so hard to drive him away one minute (whack!)...and who then seems pathologically afraid he might leave her the next (smack!)?"
Kaname put her pillow down for a moment and smiled, infuriating Tessa. "The love I show Sousuke in the good moments we share will touch his heart in ways you never will, no matter how hard you try...no matter how many orders you give!"
Kaname lowered her head in front of Tessa, inviting her to strike. "And," she added triumphantly, "the more time we share, the more intimacy were learn together...the more intimacy we learn together, the longer the good times will be. I have that to look forward to!"
Tessa had an evil look in her eye. She walked over to the blackboard, drew a large question mark, and walked back again. "Yes...but for HOW LONG???" She quite obviously baited Kaname. "Your life will continue on...but Sousuke's mission will end. Do you really think he would give up the world he knows, the world he has always known, just for you? DO YOU?!!!"
Kaname growled low in her throat. "I don't know. But at least I can hope. That's more than you can ever do. That's more than some desperate stick of a girl like you can EVER have!!!"
Tessa swung her pillow wildly, missing and tripping over Kaname's pillow.
"Yes...you missed. You missed me, just like you have missed your chance with Sousuke!!!"
Tessa stood up, brushed herself off, and smiled. "Are you really sure? Are you? When he chooses to come back here to his HOME...I will be here. AND...I will not have to stay a Captain forever. I won't even have to stay in uniform . With my knowledge and experience, I will make an excellent and coveted consultant!"
"IN YOUR DREAMS!" Kaname said.
"No. Kaname dear...In YOUR nightmares!!!"
Seeing Kaname shake her head, concerned, Tessa twisted the verbal knife. "In actuality, I should probably thank you," she said with a sickening amount of saccharine.
"I should probably pay you a finder's fee. You helped Sousuke find a part of himself that he was unaware of. You helped him touch a place within him he probably didn't even know existed. As a result, I won't have to work so hard when he comes back here! Thank you!"
Tessa laughed, seeing Kaname's expression. "Yes, the things you have taught him...we will share them when he returns. You might even end up getting more than a kiss. I will be jealous, of course...initially. You might get him first, but I will get to enjoy him...forever!!!"
Kaname became enraged, swinging her pillow harder and harder, bruising Tessa's face , knocking loose her ear rings, and totally destroying her sculptured hairdo. "He's NOT just some prize (smack!)...he's someone very special (whack!)...and he cares about ME (smack smack whack!)...you wishful (whack)...little (whack!)...BITCH (whack whack whack whack whack!!!)!"
Tessa, reacting with some instinctual desire to survive, leapt upon Kaname, beating her with her fists. She pulled Kaname's blouse up over her head---tearing it severely in the process---and began hitting her with a pillow until feathers started to fly.
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Kurz: "You gotta see it to believe it...that one gets bonus points for ferocity. Who had dibs on first take-down?..."
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Just as abruptly as she started her assault, Tessa stopped. She backed away. "After considering things a bit more...I don't think I will wait for you to sample all of Sousuke first. I think I will just take the baton from you and run with it, clumsy as I may be!"
Tessa had simply switched her attack to verbal blows. "You got the puck moving, Kaname, the crowd will give you that. Be happy with the assist you get credited with when I score! Or...should I say...when Sousuke and I score TOGETHER! "
Tessa backed away a bit when Kaname stood up and adjustered her rended shirt. "Perhaps I will send you another 'URGENT' note to let you know when! But...I'm afraid that with my being such a desperate needy little bitch, I won't have the courage to send him away from me any more...once we have shared certain things."
Tessa ran to the other side of the room, trying to keep a table between her and a white-faced Kaname. "Enjoy whatever hurried and clumsy moments you still can, Kaname. I can afford to take my time...."
After that, Kaname slid across the top of the table, taking herself and Tessa to the floor. The pillows began to swing fiercely again, continuing until there was nothing intact left to swing. Both combatants lay exhausted against the wall, breathing heavily, completely covered and surrounded by feathers and occasional clothing fragments.
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Kurz: "OH YEH!! It doesn't get any better than this...I hope you gentlemen rember to tip your host well tonight...."
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The loud shouts and physical noises that Sousuke had been hearing all along certainly troubled him. But it was the silence that caused his imagination to run amok.
Thinking a moment, he grew concerned about his plan. He had thought that a time of quiet relection might help the two young women settle down and think things out. Sousuke now worried that he had given them TOO MUCH time to think, and hoped that they had not used that time to take inventory of their grievances and build up their anger.
He had left sharp and heavy items in the room, as well as furniture with treacherous edges. He could picture one or both of the girls laying in a pool of blood. When his thoughts got ridiculously fanciful, he saw them drowning in a pool of each other's abdominal contents. He should check in on them just to be on the safe side. After all...the calm may simply indicate that they are working constructively together.
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"Have you reached an agreement about the particulars of the contest?" Sousuke asked as he strode into the war-torn conference room. He was soon shocked by what he saw.
Neither of the brusied and battered girls saw fit to answer.
"Have you even tried to discuss it?" Sousuke began to sound angry.
Both girls looked away from Sousuke. Kaname realized just how much she had let her pride and her emotions control her.
"I left the assignment and the fate of many people in the hands of my submarine commander and my student class representative...was I mistaken to do so?
Both girls looked embarrassed. Tessa looked at her hands...finding it hard she had done any of the things she did. All of the things she did. She felt she was waking from some sort of dream.
"I see...I make an effort to assist two people who are very importantant to me...and they only worry about themselves!" Sousuke's dissapointment was almost tangible enough to touch.
Both girls looked up at him, sheepishly. Both wished they could rewind the whole thing and start over again, knowing what they knew then.
"I thought this opportunity might give you an outlet to act responsibly and diffuse away your anger and envy. I had hoped that you would discover a common ground and reach a compromise acceptable to both of you...an understanding best for everyone."
"Sous-" Kamname started.
"I have to admit I was arrogant and foolish. I had thought that you both might care enough about me to put aside your differences. This whole conflict is difficult for me. I never know what to expect."
Tessa too tried to get a word in "Sousuke...I'm...I'm..."
"This is all just like a battle. I get a little bit of information, and I am thrown here and knocked there...I have to keep moving just to stay in one piece! But, at least battles end! This seems as if it will never end!" Sousuke turned, angrily rubbing at his own hair.
"Sousuke...wait...It's NOT because I don't care" Kaname said desperately. "It's because I am afraid to lose you...and I was trying to protect you...."
"We all lose things, Kaname. I could have lost my life today. I may lose it tomorrow. But...Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin has helped me understand that it's not whether or not I am alive to fight...it's how I live while I'm still alive."
Sousuke looked intently at Kaname, turned and did the same to Tessa. "I do not want everything in my life to be a battle!!! I am growing beyond that...and I am growing tired of that...."
"Yes...I suppose we at Mithril have used you very hard as a soldier, Sousuke...but that was NOT personal. You would never let me have even the slightest hope of anything personal." Tessa sounded defensive and dejected at the same time.
"Tessa...there are still many things I am trying to understand. I have told you that before."
Sousuke walked over to Kaname. "Kaname...when you say you do not want to lose me...that does make me happy. But can you understand that your fear is about something you want for yourself?"
"Sousuke..." Kaname started.
"Please," Sousuke continued. " Tessa...you are thinking so much about who you want, that you forget to ask what that person might want."
Souskuke walked over to the door, and turned back to face them both. "I will say one last thing. I will hope that the two of you will do ME the favor of coming to terms here today. If that is not possible, then you may both find that there is no longer anything left to fight over." Sousuke left and closed the door.
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Crowd: "Sousuke...Sousuke...Sousuke...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKE...SOUSUKESOUSUIKESOUSUKE!!! Whoo Whoo Whooooo...."
Pandemonium!!!
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The final pronouncement and all the weight it carried fell like the proverbial ton of bricks. But, in this instance, it fell along with a rain of mortar, seailng the bricks together, and forming a cold and lonely prison cell for each of the two occupants. Both Kaname and Tessa wondered if they would lose their chance at EVERYTHING...or whether or not a stay of execution might be granted.
"Kaname..." Tessa eventually offered. "I will admit that you know Sousuke better personally than I do. Do you think he is serious...or was his speech only a calculated attempt at getting us to work together?"
"I don't know, Tessa. But...I know I care too much about him to even take the slightest risk. Everything he said was very true. And...and...I feel SO ashamed!" Kaname began to cry silently.
Tessa too looked crestfallen. "I do too. I have been his commander through many things good and bad. I've seen him in triumph and defeat. And I NEVER realized just what depth of feeling he might have. He is so hard and unyielding on the outside that I always assumed he would be cold and unfeeling on the inside."
Kaname perked up a little, even managing a small smile. Softly she said "Aha...you see that now. You were after him when you thought he was cold and unfeeling. Does that mean you no longer want him now that you realize he's not?"
"Oh no...certainly not...I may have been desperate and needy then. But now I have a really good and normal reason to want him...."
Tessa winked.
"Oh..." The two of them looked at each other, and then tentatively smiled together.
"Uh huh. Maybe we should go back to what I said when we had finished our troubles with A21." Tessa offered.
"Yes...let the best woman win." Kaname finished the thought. "I agree. And I thank you. I never expected you to gift wrap Sousuke that way for me!!!" She laughed quietly, playfully.
Kaname smiled.
Tessa smiled.
"We are both TOTALLY hopeless, aren't we?" Kaname asked.
"No" Tessa said. "Not hopeless. Hopeful."
After that, they got down to work.
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"Awwww...what a touching Kodak moment" Kurz said, watching Kaname and Tessa make their first attempts at reconciliation.
Kurz then turned to address the now milling group of men. "Remember...copies of today's once-in-a-lifetime event will be available for a small fee. And, all rights and privileges pertaining to this program remain the property of the Amazing Kurz Weber! Oh yeh!"
Kurz was surprised to be answered by dead silence. Turning, he saw Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin standing at the open doorway.
"Security had been rather concerned about the level of noise coming from this room, Sgt. Weber. They were equally concerned to find the door locked and effectively barricaded. They were in fact concerned enough to bring matters to my attention. I am grateful that someone chose to open the door for us."
Kurz was visibly wilting more and more with each passing moment.
"I must say that I feel highly insulted that I was not invited to attend this gala event" Even the dullest knife in the drawer would catch that sacasm. "To start with, you may make up for it by supplying me with ALL audio and video recordings of the events."
Kalinin turned to face the crowd of soldiers and sailors. "The remainder of you...gentlemen---" Kalinin said slowly and deliberately memorizing the face of every man present "---are welcome to remain with Sgt. Weber if you like. Otherwise, I strongly suggest that you find something useful to do, lest we decide to fund future combat operations by means of payroll deductions!"
The men scattered like cockroaches surprised by the first beams of a kitchen light.
Kalinin turned his attention to Kurz. "Sgt Weber. I have recently learned that our busy and dependable kitchen staff is short-handed and in need of some help. I am certain you can find something to do that would be of great service to them. For the next three days. In fact, you may consider it to be an order. Oh, and sergeant..."
"Yes, sir?"
"Be certain that you wash your hands thoroughly!"
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Kurz' bad luck was about to get worse. Lt. Concepcion...with an expectant and concerned looking medical corpsman in tow...was seen headed in the direction of the kitchen.
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Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin, in a rare moment of levity, returned to his office and put a call through to Sgt. Major Mao. He made it a point to describe the latest activities of the two AS pilots under her supervision. The resulting laughter did more to improve her condition than any of the medicines and therapies she had received up to that point. Things were definitely beginning to look up. Now, if only Sousuke would send that beer...
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The Chief Mechanic left the graphics department, having picked up a decal he had commisioned them to design and create for him. The decal displayed the day's date, and in yellow letters proudly spelled out Sousuke's name and rank. It was a large purple heart. Bobo walked into the hangar, climbed up the stairs to the ARX-7, and placed the decal on Sousuke's Arm Slave.
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more coming
Of course...
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