Para Bellum, Sequel to Le Jeu Sinistre, Chapter 7/??

[grateful_days]

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic. Acorporationthatwaivesitsrighttosuesayswhat.

Warning: The following may contain salty language that may be offensive to those of a higher moral standing than I. Consider yourself warned.

Chapter Seven: And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

“Ladies and gentleman, children of all ages, feast your eyes on the ship that will save the world… I give you… The Excalibur!”
After escaping from Jindai, the group consisting of Sousuke, Kaname, Kalinin, Mardukas, Tessa, Kurz, Melissa and Ming Chou, a representative from BlitzCorps, Mithril’s primary arms manufacturer, quickly and quietly boarded a small, private jet for Australia. Mithril had once had a strong presence in the country and, thusly, they wouldn’t have trouble finding sanctuary there. It was also the locations of BlitzCorps’ headquarters.
And so, in a small, quiet suburb of Sydney, they arrived at a large compound. After going through various security checks, Ming Chou finally led them to an underground lab. With much flourish and pomp, he flung open the doors and let them in.
The Excalibur as it turned out, was a ship, not unlike the Tuatha de Danaan but larger. Much large. Kaname couldn’t tell but she was sure it had to be at least half a kilometer long. It was dark purple in color and looked like a cross between a WWII submarine and the Starship Enterprise. And, as she soon found out, it basically was.
“Incredible,” breathed Sousuke next to her.
“What is it?” Kaname whispered.
“An excellent question, my dear!” Ming said, for he had ears like a fox. “This, my friends, is the most powerful warship ever built! It has firepower that far surpasses anything ever created before and the mobility to go around the Earth at the equator in twelve hours if the need arises! Not to mention, it can…” He paused, enjoying the attention. “…fly!”
There was a collective gasp.
“So, it’s an airship, essentially?”
“More or less. The Excalibur was built as a sister unit to the Sandalphon and the Metatron. Wolfram and his bastards may have gotten those two but we’ve still got this one.”
“But can the Excalibur stand up both of them at once?”
Kaname had given up trying to figure out what the Sandalphon was exactly. She had a sneaking suspicion that no one actually knew and everyone was embarrassed by it and, thusly, pretended to know. For all anyone knew, it could actually be the new sandwich from Arby’s.
Ming shrugged. “Perhaps… Err… It depends. In theory, yes, it could.”
“In theory,” Mardukas repeated.
“Yes, in theory. It’s untested but so are the other two.”
“So, in other words, you have no idea if any of this will work at all?”
“Exactly.”
Everyone shared a collective sigh.

~

The tour of the facilities continued. The corporation had built sixteen specially designed M9's for the Excalibur. Since it was estimated that the coming battle would take place primarily in the air, each was equipped with a custom booster system that would allowed sustained flight for well over two hours.
“You should probably have all pilots go through some basic simulation battles to regain their bearings,” Ming Chou told Tessa in between yelling at some workers in Cantonese.
“I want to pilot,” Kaname blurted out. This was personal now, to her. The bastards had come in, taken over her school, terrified her classmates, shot her and were trying to kill her boyfriend. Damned is she wasn’t going to show them what she thought of them.
Everyone looked at her and Tessa nodded.
“You have experience so I was planning on assigning you a unit. You haven’t had any formal training so you should spend extra time in the simulator.”
“Are there no other pilots?” Sousuke asked, looking up from the specifications report on the boosters.
“We’re strapped for pilots as it is. We’ve been hunting down Mithril reserve members from around Australia to give us a hand and we still might be short.”
“But she… Chidori,” he shot a glance at the girl. “Chidori has no real experience with Arm Slaves.”
“I piloted one,” she protested. “And I think I did a pretty good job.”
“That was a highly specialized model. These units are still very high grade but not at the caliber you’ve used before.”
“So? I’ll just have to adapt. I’m not worried.”
“No. You can’t do it.”
Kaname gave Sousuke a malicious look. “Who’re you to say what I can and can’t do?”
“As a veteran combat professional. That’s who.”
“I saved your ass back in Rome-“
“Through the strength of your AS. Had you been piloting an M9, I believe the outcome of the battle would’ve been radically different.”
“Why, you piece of-“
“Excuse me,” said Ming quickly, putting up his hands and stepping between the quarreling teenagers. “We don’t have much time and we’ve got more to do. Sagara, you’ll be leading the attack, correct? For this purpose, we have a custom unit for you.”
This piqued Sousuke’s curiosity and for the moment, he forgot about his objections to Kaname’s piloting. Ming Chou led him alone through the warehouse, going past AS after AS. The pungent smell of oil hung in the air like the fragrance of flowers in summer and Sousuke was loath to breath it in too deeply.
“Here we are. You should recognize it.”
And Sousuke did. It was the Arbalest.
“How-“
“We actually built two prototypes. One of which was sent to you in an emergency and the other we kept for a rainy day like this. Mithril didn’t know about this one, or else they would’ve taken it.”
“I see,” Sousuke said, walking around it, looking up at the familiar machine.
“And… Err… Al?”
“The AI system? Yes, a copy is installed. You’ll have to put in your personal preferences again but, otherwise, it’s exactly like your old unit. Lambda Driver and everything.”
Somewhere inside, Sousuke cringed at the mention of the Lambda Driver.

~

Evening was quickly approaching when Sousuke retired to the quarters he had been assigned. When he entered them, he immediately felt at ease. They were similar, yes, very similar to the ones he had once had on the Tuatha de Danaan. Almost exactly the same. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia and peace when he stood in them.
A moment later, though, Sousuke was back in his own terrible reality. He sat down on the bed and took in everything that had happened.
Sagara Yamato was, indeed, live and well. At least he was when Sousuke left him. He was fighting Gauron with a wooden sword. That couldn’t have turned out well.
Yes, it was a heavy thing, his father. Why hadn’t he said anything? Maybe it would’ve been kinder to remain silent about it. It seemed bizarre, like something out of an anime or maybe Kafka.
And Gauron was a clone of Yamato. It almost made sense, in a way, the connection Sousuke seemed to have with the man. He could never seem to kill him either. It was almost like an anti-Oedipus complex. What would that make Kaname, then?
And Kaname. Why in the world would she want to pilot? She couldn’t pilot. A few hours experience in a prototype unit did not a combat pilot make. And a few more hours in simulators wouldn’t make up for it, either. Not to mention, if it truly would be an air battle, the stress would be greater and she would do worse.
Sousuke groaned in frustration and struck his fist against the metal wall. He listened with some satisfaction to the loud clang that echoed through the ship. The pain in his hand annoyed him but it took his mind off everything that was going on so he hit the wall again. And again. And again. Until his fist hurt so much that he flinched when he moved his fingers.
He held his hand out in front of him. It was very red and a bruise was starting to form on the fleshy side. He made a fist and winced but he bore the pain and flexed his hand. Soon, the pain had subsided and all he felt was a cold numbness.
A walk, Sousuke thought. Yes, that’s what he needed. A walk would calm his mind. And so he started out, strolling through the Exacalibur, seeing whether or not its layout was similar to that of the Tuatha de Danaan.
It was indeed very similar. Both had been designed on a basic matrix, though the newer ship expanded on it greatly. It was essentially a much larger version of the Tuatha de Danaan.
Sousuke quickly lost himself as he wandered around, aimlessly. He didn’t meet many people. The ship could theoretically support a huge crew but they were running with less than one hundred. It was almost like walking through a deserted castle.
Time flowed by without his noticing and, before long, it was midnight. Sousuke sighed and checked where he was. Just around the corner was the “arcade”- the simulation room.
The arcade was dark when Sousuke walked in. It was large and had well over fifty individual cockpit units. He was about to log onto one when he noticed that a single machine was on.
When Sousuke approached, he saw the telltale sign of a few locks of blue hair poking out.

~

Kaname’s skin glistened with sweat. She licked her lips, not daring to tear her intense gaze from the screen of her cockpit.
“Sergeant, we need support-“
The crackling of machine guns pierced the cockpit and speakers boomed with the explosions all around her. She swerved and knocked out an artillery emplacement.
“Sergeant, we-“
The voice of her subordinate went dead as a hellish explosion rocked the little hell hole. Kaname gritted her teeth and rounded on her enemies. Three Arm Slaves. They were the old, Soviet froggy ones but dangerous none the less. She fired a burst from her rifle that sliced the first in two from behind. The others saw her and turned their fire on her.
The machine guns screamed and the explosions sang like some sort of twisted, horrible opera. Kaname sprayed an AS with fire and holes burst out of its belly and flames billowed out of them.
The last one. Kaname fired again while strafing and her rifle clicked empty. No time to reload. She dropped it, drew her knife, more of a machete, really, a great, cruel looking thing, and charged.
She closed the distance and gutted the AS, driving the blade through the cockpit. The machine blew up around it, the armor melting away like hot butter.
And, then, it was all over. A shell landed next to her and burst, ripping apart both her and the lifeless shell hanging off her AS.
“Goddammit!” Kaname screamed, slamming her hand against the side of the cockpit. She pressed the Eject button which actually made the chair slide back, allowing the pilot to get out.
“If you can’t beat an Intermediate level training scenario, you shouldn’t pilot,” Sousuke said, looking over the screen that tallied her score.
“Shut up. I was doing fine. I had almost won… If I play it again, I’ll win.”
“In battle, there are no continues.”
Kaname twisted around in her seat and pulled herself up. There was a sickly, wet, slimy noise. She had been stuck to the seat. Had it been any other situation, Sousuke might have been admonished the girl for what she was wearing: A military fatigue tank top and a pair of tight shorts. That had been, unfortunately, all she could find that fit decently.
“What do you have against me piloting?” she demanded, looking fiercely at her boyfriend. “What? I’ve fought by your side before. Why do you have such a problem with it now?”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Sousuke, there’s nothing we can do about that. If I don’t pilot, the ship might be destroyed and I’ll be hurt anyway.”
“So stay in Australia,” he said.
“Do you really think they’ll stop with taking out the Exaclibur? Sousuke, this is our last hope. This is it, the last hurrah for us. Now, it’s all or nothing. And goddammit, I’m not going down without a fight. Is it because Gauron might be there? Is that why you don’t want me to pilot?”
“You have no idea what he’s capable.”
“Can’t be anymore than what you’re father is.”
Sousuke was silent and Kaname looked away.
“If you can beat me in the simulator, I won’t raise any more objections,” Sousuke said finally. He opened up the machine next to Kaname’s and sat down.
“Fine. You may be the better pilot but we both know I’m better at videogames,” Kaname said, getting into her own.
“I won’t go easy on you,” he said, choosing his weapons. Shotgun, his forte.
“Good. You won’t have that excuse when I kick your ass.”
The duel started out. They were on a large grassland setting. The two Armored Slaves stood five hundred meters away from each other.
“Get ready,” Kaname muttered. Her M9’s thrusters flared and she dashed forward, firing haphazard shots. Sousuke dodged gracefully but didn’t return fire. His M9 took to the air and came down only ten meters away from Kaname.
“Shit,” she muttered. It only took one blast to knock her down. Sousuke stepped forward to finish things but Kaname forced herself up and shot back. He backed off.
This is how it continued for nearly half an hour. Sousuke conserved his shots, only taking one when he was sure he could get a hit while Kaname fired whenever she could. Where Sousuke’s fighting style was graceful, conservative and reserved, Kaname was haphazard and chaotic.
She was sweaty again and stuck very neatly to the chair but she didn’t give a damn. Her rifle clicked empty for the sixth time but, now, she didn’t have a spare magazine.
“Damn it,” she growled, casting it away, much the same as in her previous battle. She drew her knife again.
“Do you give up?” Sousuke called over the intercom. She could actually hear him in the cockpit next to her.
“I have not yet begun to fight!” Kaname yelled. This, Sousuke definitely heard next to him.
The M9 charged, knife out and down, ready to cut open Sousuke’s Arm Slave. He held his ground, though, and waited.
Kaname dove at Sousuke, well aware of the fact that he had his shotgun leveled at her. Just as he fired, she flung herself down and to the left, managing to drive the blade deep into the leg of the enemy M9.
But, now, she was opened and she realized this all too late. Quickly, Sousuke drew his own knife and plunged it into the back of Kaname’s Arm Slave. He threw her off and, though his unit was having trouble standing, he shifted his gun, pumped it and fired.
Kaname stared at the screen of her cockpit as they fizzled and shuddered. It soon culminated in a great explosion that lit up her machine.
“I told you,” Sousuke said, as they both got out of their simulators. Kaname whispered something that he couldn’t hear.
“What?”
“I hate you.”
“Huh?”
She looked up at him and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“I hate you! You always do this! What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you let me help you? You just… God!”
Kaname tried to run but Sousuke reached out a hand and grabbed her shoulder.
“Get off!” she growled through her tears, struggling against his hand.
“Chidori-“ His hand caught the shoulder strap of her tank top and pulled it down, entirely on accident.
Kaname’s face became crimson as she was exposed, even if it was to the boy she’d made love to dozens of times. Sousuke let go and Kaname pulled the strap back on. She looked at Sousuke for a moment and then slapped him. Hard.
She started to walk away again and Sousuke caught her shoulder again. He turned her around and, in one swift moment, he slapped her back. If he wanted too, he could have knocked her done but the stinging of her red, tear-streaked face and the new trickle of blood from her nose had just as much effect.
“You hit me…” Kaname whispered and Sousuke suddenly knew he had made a huge mistake. Before he could apologize, Kaname took off running.
“Goddammit…” Sousuke whispered and he hit the nearest simulator. His fist hurt like hell.

~

The next day, the Excalibur launched. As it rose out of the hangar slowly, like a giant waking up, the technicians and other personnel on the ground got together and lit a bonfire to see it off. It wasn’t long before the beer had been passed out and, this being Australia, the band played Waltzing Matilda.
“Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda, you’ll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me…”

End of Chapter Seven

Author’s Notes:
This is the beginning of the end. Expect everything to go to hell from here on. And I don’t know if there’ll even be a happy ending… I’ve been reading a lot of Kafka.

Anyway, there’s a bit of foreshadowing in the title of this chapter that I’d like to point out because it may not be immediately obvious to anyone except maybe Australians (do any Australians even read this?). “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” is a song about Australia in WWI. I don’t want to spoil it so if you want to know, I suggest you find the song. It’s a good song, too.

[HELLFIRE]

Euh, wasn't Sousuke & Kaname facing down Gaulun last time? ...Or have
I TOTALLY lost my mind, among other things

Kaname piloting an AS suit... now THAT'S something to watch. And
Sousuke grabbing on to her like that... I had a fleeting thought it was
to hold her in a hug or give her a kiss... guess I was wrong.

Things are picking up, grateful! Keep it up!








Regards