[FIC] Just Desserts {Chapter 28}

[dd]

The lights in the room were low. The room was out of the way, not a location likely to be stumbled on to accidentally. Voices were hushed. A thorough check for listening devices had been done, and the area had been deamed clear.

The members of the conspiracy were very determined. Highly motivated. Each of them had suffered grievously, or had been significantly discomforted. The possession of a common enemy strengthed the resolve of everyone present.

The plan was bold, but the potential outcome was irresistable. Revenge, like French pastries, should be savored and not rushed. Retribution, like a fine wine, should be appreciated in good company, not guzzled in some dark alley way. Justice, like a fine tea, should be served with flair, not thrown around indescriminately.

The members present in the room reported their prey's whereabouts and condition. The members off-site, talking by means of secure conference call, detailed the progress of their missions. Things were going well. Their involvement should not be suspected until it was too late.

It was only a matter of time until things came to fruition

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Kurz' extravaganza served as a large stone thrown into a small lake. Ripples spread out from the center, rocking everyone's boat as they passed.

Kaname had returned home feeling somewhat chastened and down, but three things in particular lifted her out of a potential state of despondency. The first was Sousuke. He let Kaname know in no uncertain terms that his feelings for her had not changed. The second was Tessa. Kaname was not ready to view her as a friend, but it was good to have someone to weather the storm of embarrassment with. The third was Kurz. When Kaname heard what he had done, her anger burned away most of her feelings of shame and concern.

Sousuke was none too pleased with Kurz' judgement and irresponsibility. Being who he was, Sousuke did not explain his displeasure with his fellow pilot in words. On the contrary, Sousuke refused to say a single word to Kurz for the first week after the big event.

Tessa was forced to wrestle with her honor, her pride, and her reputation.
She had a long talk with Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin, and came away with a sense of hope and anticipation. Despite the mistakes she had made, she felt that she could learn and grow from her experiences. She was afraid of the damage her actions might have on her crew's respect for here; but, at the same time, she thought that there may be a lasting benefit from being seen to have normal human feelings and frailties.

Melissa, healing better than expected, was disappointed. She wished she had been aboard the TDD-1 to offer her support and condolences to Tessa after her ordeal. And she would have enjoyed exacting frightful punishment on Kurz while the iron was still hot.

Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin was given the opportunity to think upon his presence on the submarine. He had been given advanced knowledge of Sousuke's plan, and had given it his blessing. That had been a calculated risk, and he should not question his own judgement too much. The incident did help remove the last vestages of self-doubt he once had about his continued acceptance of his role within Mithril. They NEEDED him here!

Kurz, situated at the epicenter, felt the greatest impact of all. On the plus side, he had managed to acquire a rather considerable sum of money. He was very surprised that Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin had not thought to appropriate the money as well as the recordings. And, he had greatly improved his relationship with the rank and file. The memorable event was legend, and those who had been present considered themselves to be truly blessed. On the negative side, he had to deal with an unhappy Sousuke, and he had to prepare for tropical storm Melissa. At least the friction with Lt. Concepcion had decreased.

*************************************************************

Souske, shouldering his clothes bag, stepped off of the helicopter and walked out onto the hangar floor. He had been away visiting Melissa, having his routine physical examination performed, and having standard laboratory tests run.

Souske was given a clean bill of health, and was judged fit to continue duty. Melissa, who had suffered multiple internal injuries as well as numerous fractures, was mending well. She was comfortable without medicines, and was anxious to return to duty. She greatly appreciated the magazines and sweets Sousuke brought her. But she was truly ecstatic over the beer he had smuggled in disguised as chilled coffee. Bobo's talents were not limited to larger weapons systems, it seemed.

Melissa asked to hear everything ABOUT everything. Sousuke's relationsship with Kaname. His adventures in the hospital and on the date. His feelings for Tessa. The action in Malaysia. All of the smallest details about Kaname and Tessa's historic confrontation. The full laundry list of sub gossip.

Melissa went through a full set of moods and emotions before Sousuke finished, winded. And, she had gone through half of her beer. One particular train of thought seemed to be pulling into the station more frequently than others: Kurz. Kurz did bad! Kurz really must pay!!!

Sousuke, very detailed in his descriptions, mentioned Lt. Concepcion: how Kurz had knicknamed his Starburst 'Cassie'...how he had approached Casimira after he returned from Pakistan...and her direct and painful defense of her dignity.

"Mira?" Melissa had asked. "Mira and I are buds." That statement, combined with the primary thought of 'Kurz must pay' lead to an interesting conversation between Melissa and Sousuke. And that coversation lead to a phone call to Casimira Concepcion.

*************************************************************

Sousuke met with Tessa and Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin in the Captain's quarters. Sousuke was involved in mission planning, and he wanted his commanding officers to contribute their thoughts, give their approval, and take actions necessary for the success of the endeavor. The conversation was congenial and very productive. The mission objective was of great tactical and strategic value, and success would have tremendous benefits for morale.

*************************************************************

Sousuke called Kaname and shared his recent activities with her. She in turn described everything that had been going on at school in Sousuke's absence. After pleasant small talk, Sousuke asked if Kaname would do a favor for him. Kaname was delighted. She was happy to do something that both she and Sousuke would enjoy. And she was proud to have been entrusted with such an important task.

*************************************************************

"Still not talking to me, Sousuke old chum?" Kurz slapped Sousuke on the back, causing him to spill his coffee. "That's OK, because it's always a pleasure to listen to Kurz Weber. Oh yeh!"

Kurz seemed to be in an exceedingly fine mood. "You will have to get by without my keen wit and incomparable charm for a while, I'm happy to say! I'm off to Tokyo for some security work, and I will have the pleasure of spending some fine time with Cas-i-mirrrr-a! Be still my beating heart."

"Ah...I can see the questions in your eyes, sergeant. We will both have some free time between our separate assignments. She has invited me to a fine French restaurant as a way to apologize for her earlier treatment of me. And you can guess what's tops on Kurz' menu...oh yeh!!!"

Kurz did not say a word about his date when he returned to the TDD-1.

*************************************************************

A few days later, another crucial mission required the special abilities of the Tuatha De Danaan and crew.

The target lay in the general vicinity of the Cambodian city of Krachap, but nearer to the Cardaman Mountains, in a region once famous for the mining of precious stones, but now infamous for mines of another sort. Not too distant from the Thai-Cambodian border, the site of interest was situated within one of the heavily mined areas not yet cleared by workers in the hire of the Adopt A Mindfield group and other agencies operating under the Ottawa Convention. Mithril would borrow the slogan of that humanitarian group, planning to "clear a path to a safer world." The mines they would leave for others to deal with. A greater danger needed to be removed.

A figurative island of treachery lay at the center of the seas of Russian POMZ-2M and Vietnamese MBV-78A2 mines. Underground facilities served as both a home and a laboratory for a virulent terrorist group that presented an enormous threat. Scientific research with captive human test subjects was the most recent modus operandi of the terrorists, and their current project had chilling implications.

A majority of the briefing was already complete, including the background information on the enemy, the threat analysis, and the final plan of action.
All that remained was a more detailed description of the specific threat they faced.

Lt. Concepcion handled that part of the briefing.

"The New Asian Dawn group has long experimented with various bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic pathogens. Up to this point, their actions had been more geared towards disruption of food crops by plant viruses, or the reduction of animal stock by means of various agents.

Their newest project is aimed at human targets."

An photograph of a trasmission electron microscope image of a virus was projected onto the viewscreen. "Hantaviruses, members of the Bunyavirus family, are DNA viruses with double-stranded DNA. They are zoonotic, meaning that they can be transmitted from animals to humans, with the unharmed animals serving as a reservoir for the virus."

The next image was a collage of various rodent species. "For Hantaviruses, the reservoir population is most often some form of rodent. As a result, they are not transmisable by moquitos or other insect vectors. The virus is often contracted through food, or through touching of the eyes or mouth by hands that have touched infectious materials. Airborne transmission between individuals is possible, and often is the cause of larger outbreaks."

A map of the Asian continent was shown on the screen, colored markings indicating endemic areas. "Hantaviruses exist in different parts of the world, and produce various symptoms and diseases depending on the various subtypes. In Asia, the most common variants are the Hantaan, Puumala, and Seoul types. Infection with one of these variants may lead to Hemorrhagic Fever Renal Syndrome, a disorder resulting from severe damage to the infected individual's kidneys. Fortunately for those with the sickness, the mortality rate is only on the order of ten percent."

The image of a man in a white lab coat was shown. "The person in the image is Dr. Ramesh Kupatra. Dr. Kupatra trained at Harvard Medical school...did a residency at the Mayo Clinic...and subsequently spent considerable time working at the Center For Disease Control. His area of expertice is exotic viruses. He has been linked to various terrorist organizations in the past, and is thought to currently be managing the medical activities of New Asian Dawn."

"It is difficult to judge the validity of the rumors we have heard. Nonetheless, we cannot simply ignore the threat. The rumored project at the facilities in the Krachap area involves purposeful mutation of the Puumala variant Hantavirus, with the goal to produce a more easily transmissable form with much greater pathogenicity. Given the abundance of rodent species worldwide, the threat posed by this research is unpresidented."

Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin stepped to the podium. "The threat is great ineed. That was an excellent presentation, Lt. Concepcion. While that now ends the primary portion of our briefing today, I believe we have some additional special footage to show?'

"Yes, sir. The following video material will be of great value to those of us gathered here today. If you will please start the film" Lt. Concepcion directed her request to the media personnel situated in their cubbyhole adjacent to the briefing room.

The lights in the ready room dimmed down. Music from Juan Chrisostomo De Arriaga's Overture to 'Los esclavos felices' played, later to be followed by his Symphony In D Minor.

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The film that showed was obviously not from a professional source. The images shown were taken covertly, from various video and still-shot cameras and other video devices. The images showed a metropolitan area, soon recognaized as Tokyo. A large crowd of people walked the streets, and the sounds of city life were heard above the background music. A title to the film appeared, and that image WAS of professional quality and origin. "Just Desserts" was the title.

A voice-over began. It was Sousuke's voice. "The following mission was undertaken by dedicated individuals with a common goal. Non-combatants were just as crucial as professional soldiers and operatives. We, the members of Mithril, owe them all our gratitude."

The images shifted from the general to the specific. Photographs of the Fountainbleu restaurant were accompanied by pictures of the establishment's staff and customers. Next, video with audio accompaniment showed Sgt. Kurz Weber and Lt. Casimira Concepcion walking into the restaurant.

"Ah...finally here, my dove. I hope you are looking forward to this as much as I am." Kurz' voice seemed cheerful and eager. He pumped his fist in the air.

"The way I feel at this moment, I don't think anyone could possibly experience greater anticipation than I feel now!" Lt. Concepcion projected an image of utter sincerity. The two of them were shown to a table.

"Don't sell yourself short, beautiful lady. My anticipation knows no bounds when you are around. And no doubt you, like me, are probably thinking about the things that come later." Kurz sounded smug. His hand reached out to cover hers. "This is quite a nice place...but I have a better place for us later. Oh yeh!"

"You can only guess how much I look forward to showing you my true feelings! I do not risk putting my thoughts...or my OWN plans...into words. I almost feel faint when I think of the pleasures to come. And only you could make me feel this way." She leaned a bit closer to the table in Kurz's direction, pushing her chest out some and smiling coyly.

"I see," Kurz said smoothly and triumphantly, "Perhaps I should limit my sampling of pastries now, and save room for the laaaaaater sweets."

"Yes, I would be so disappointed if things don't go the way I've planned. This will be such a memorable time. Something we will never forget. Maybe even something that will never be surpassed!" Casimira licked her lips ever so slightly and ever so slowly.

A waiter arrived with a menu for pastries, coffees, and teas. Kurz and Casimira had come for light fair.

"Do you see something you like, Kurz?" Casimira asked, arching her eyebrows and briefly covering her exposed cleavage with one hand.

"Yes, very much. But I will have to force myself to stop looking, so I can peruse the menu." Kurz' teeth showed in all their glory.

"Oh...you are too galant, sir. You embarrass me!" Casimira said, quickly hiding her face behind her menu. One camera angle clearly showed her laughing silently.

After scanning the menu, Kurz exclaimed "So much to choose from...but I it doesn't matter what I choose first, since the best will be saved for last. I have always been particularly fond of French tarts...but I hear the Paraguayan varieties are something special." Kurz' tone and look stopped just short of being lewd.

Casimira put her hand to her mouth, acted slightly flustered, and then showed her most luminous smile. "Oh! The more you speak, the more I look forward to the things that come later! I only hope I am worthy of such joy!"

The waiter returned, and asked if they were ready to order.

"Yes, thank you" Casimira's voice was musical. "In honor of my date, I will espouse a strong French wine or a rich coffee..." She placed obvious emphasis on 'strong' and 'rich.' "...instead, I guess I must settle today for a delicate light tea grown in Japan, with a touch of some Alpine flavor, if I may..." The word 'delicate' also recieved special attention.

Casimira looked at Kurz and smiled. "...and, I think I will have the Vol an vent, as I am in the mood for something flakey, and something chicken. Yes, and the Orange tuiles...it is so light. So very feminine." The emphasis was on 'flakey,' 'chicken,' 'light,' and 'feminine.'

For some reason, Kurz felt an unconscious sense of dread slowly building. When it was his turn, he selected creme brulee and an asortment of lunettes and brioches. A glass of expensive red wine rounded out his order.

"Kurz, my treasure, may I ask you something...personal?" Casimira fluttered her eyelids.

"Certainly. WHATEVER you like, gorgeous!"

"What does a woman need to do to get Sgt. Sagara's attention? He is such a dashing, strong, masculine young man..." Casimira affected a dreamy look.

Kurz knocked over his water, and almost choked on the complimentary baggette he was chewing on. "S-Sousuke?"

"Yes...I see you are on a first name basis with him...such a great opportunity for both of us. I have had my eye on him a long time, now."

Casimira fanned herself with her napkin.

"Sgt. Sagara...?!"

"Yes...I believe that is his rank...the thought of him makes my heart race...talking about him does not make you flustered, does it?" she cocked her head to the side, and smiled brightly.

"N-No...why would you think that?"

"Well, how can I put this? The way you seem to hang all over him sometimes. Your lonnnnng blond hair....or I should say, wig. Your graceful dancer's physique. You know." Casimira laughted and lowered her voice, looking around as if to see if anyone was listening.

"No...I don't know..." Kurz looked totally perplexed.

"Oh, I should be more direct then. I only wanted to know if my interest in the delectable young sergeant made you jealous. Of me, I mean...It's OK, I couldn't possibly think less of you if that's the case!" She waved her hand briefly in the direction of a serving boy, who subsequently headed back into the restaurant.

"What? Are you saying...? Sousuke and I are not THAT way. I'M not that way. Are you saying you don't find me attractive? Then why....?" Kurz was clearly flustered.

"Why am I here with you? I feel safe with you. I'm not distracted with womanly urges around you, and you are so utterly harmless."

Kurz was clearly on the defensive. "Well, I must say I am disappointed in you...Cassie dear. But I can't expect every female to be woman enough to appreciate Kurz Weber! But, no doubt you still have things that make your life worthwhile...." Kurz smiled, as if he thought he had won a point.

Casimira laughed. Her laughter briefly turned into into a truculent shriek reminiscent of the bare-throated bellbird, the national bird of her native Paraguay. "You mean, don't you, that every female cannot be woman enough to BE Kurz Weber?!"

"What! You MUST be joking...there is no one more manly than ME on that submarine. It's not my fault if you have some freaked-out South American view of things! Maybe you suffered a tragic head injury. Who knows? I truly feel sorry for you...but it's no big loss, babe!"

At that moment, the restaurant owner's wife made her way through the crowd with a basket of flowers. She handed one to Casimira and one to Kurz. With a big smile she said "It's ladies' day today...a pretty flower for every pretty lady!" She walked away swinging her basket, singing happily.

Lt. Concepcion conspicuously covered her mouth with her napkin, unsuccessfully smothering a laugh. "Yes, so very...m-m-masculine."

"She probably was legally blind!" Kurz spat angrily. "She probably could only see the long hair, and made an understandable mistake."

At that time, a trio of musicians started playing sprightly music. From a number of tables, couples headed to an impromptu dance area at the center of the open air cafe.

Before long, a young man in a cleanly pressed suit came up to their table. "Would the lady care to dance?" he asked politely, bowing.

Oh...I am honored...but no thank you" Casimira said politely.

"My apologies, madame...I do not wish to slight you in the least...but I was speaking to her..." The young man smiled at Kurz, who almost choked.

"I'm a man!" Kurz exclaimed, trying to make his voice sound as masculine as possible.

"Please, m'lady," said the man. "Such a falsehood will not ease my pain. I thank you for your kind attempt, nonetheless." He walked away, head hung low.

"Well...you truly ARE a heartbreaker, aren't you Sgt. Weber." Lt. Concepcion's laughter rang across the cafe like the tolling of bells. "It seems that this cafe is full of people with bad eyesight! Ah...and here come a couple more, I wager."

Two sailors, impeccably garbed in their dress uniforms, approached the table. "Would you ladies be interested in a double date?" They both spoke in a rush at the same time.

Before Kurz could answer, Casimra said "Certainly. Which one of you handsome gentlemen gets me?" She stood up, and slid her hands down along her flank.

"He does" one soldier said, elbowing his buddy. "It's my turn for the pretty one!"

"Hey, wait a minute..." Kurz started.

"No way! You got the babe last time, and I was stuck with the leftover"
"Screw you...it's my turn. I'm not getting hosed again"
"Hose THIS!!!"

The sailors started wrestling with each other, until one broke his arm free and started punching the other. They fell to the ground, yelling, pummeling each other unmercifully. The fight looked as if it might have gone on for a long time, had the restaurant staff not threated to call for the police. The sailors were escorted back out on the street.

"My...my...my...I don't see how any of the men on the submarine get any work done with you around. Then again, I heard that you were entertaining a large number of them the other day, and that you had earned a lot of money! No wonder Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin was so disgusted." Casimira feigned a shocked expression.

"What?! That was nothing like you are saying!!! Whatever it is you have been drinking, let me know...I sure would like to try some of it!!!" Kurz was not amused. His agitation showed in his posture, and in the waving of his arms as he spoke.

A little boy walked up to Kurz and pulled on his sleeve. "Excuse me..." he said in a small shy voice. "Excuse me...my momma said it was OK to come ask..."

Kurz shook off his anger with a toss of his head. When he spoke, it was with the higher pitched voice that some people use when speaking with children. "What would you like to ask, little guy?"

"I...I...wanted to...know..." The boy faltered, hiding his face in his hands.

"It's OK. Take your time. You can ask" Casimira said in a very soft reassuring voice. "She won't bite you..."

The boy straightened his shoulders, stood taller and spoke in a rush "I wanted to know if you would be my girlfiend when I grow up?" He was looking at Kurz.

"Uh...I'm sorry, but..." Kurz started to say. Before he could finish, the boy ran away crying loudly.

"Young boys, too?" Lt. Concepcion laughed. "Do you make old men lament their loss of youth and the lack of youthful vigor?" She laughed so long, it seemed for certain she would run out of air.

"I think you've already worn out THAT nonsense, don't you think...sweetie? Why don't you be a good little piece of eye candy and pipe down a bit...you're sweet on the eyes but sour on the ears!"

Casimira narrowed her eyes angrily. "You, Sgt. Weber, are good for neither. But then again, one need only speak to ANY of the women onboard to figure that out! A legend in your own mind, maybe. But of no use to women. The girls will LOVE this story!!!"

"Right...right...I see what you're doing." Kurz' posture relaxed, and his usual smile and smarmy look returned.

"You DO have some attraction to me, but you've been trying hard to hide it from yourself! No wonder you have been talking such nonsense! Why didn't I see it earlier...the famous Weber charm moves in strange and mysterious ways." Kurz laughed, finally feeling in good spirits again.

"And don't worry...I WILL let the other ladies know what they're up against. They shouldn't be too jealous of you..." Kurz actually preened.

Lt. Concepcion did not bother answering. She was too busy writing something on her napkin. When she was finished, she waved her hand towards the head waiter. She handed him the note...along with large denomination paper money. "Could you please see if we could set this up? I would appreciate it greatly. And, I am certain that some of the guests might find it very entertaining."

"I will see what can be done, madame." The waiter went up to the restaurant owner, and whispered a question in his ear. The owner thought a moment, and nodded his head affirmitively. The waiter then went off and spoke with each woman at every table, like a honey bee visiting every head of clover.

"What are you up to, babe?!" Kurz asked, curious. "What kind of crazy woman stuff is this? You probably won't be able to convince yourself no matter what you do..."

All of the women in the room walked towards Kurz' and Casimira's table, forming a semi-circle around it.

"Thank you, ladies. I know this is a bit odd, but when Cupid's arrow strikes, what's a woman to do?" Casimira was laying it on thick. No one should have been suckered for even a moment. Kurz smiled, however, and said to himself "Oh yeh! Finally, she's cracking."

"My date...my dearest heart...he will NOT believe me when I tell him how wonderful he is. Will you all promise to answer some questions for me, and answer them only with the truth?" All of the women agreed.

"Kurz, could you please stand?" Casimira asked politely, coyly.

"Certainly, sweetcakes!" He stood up, took a setp back from the table, smiled, and hooked a thumb in each pocket.

"Ladies...isn't he just the most handsome man you have ever seen?"

The response consisted of laugher, blurted 'NO!"s, shocked expressions, and shaking of heads. One woman, who had laughed loud and long, said "Oh my...I almost wet myself," blushing when she realized what she said.

"No, please...no jokes...love is serious business." The woman quieted down after hearing Casimira's plea. "Looking at his finely sculptured body, can you possibly tell me you would not desire him if he could be yours?"

The laughter was even louder this time. One woman said "Maybe if I needed something to burn in the fireplace!" Another exclaimed "He doesn't have enough hooks to be a good coat rack!" "Sculptured...looks like they chiseled off way too much!!!" "You poor poor girl you."

The one woman from before looked embarrassed as she ran off to the ladies' room.

"Oh...now I understand...you are afraid to answer truthfully with your husbands and boyfriends listening" Lt. Concepcion exclaimed. "You can't be afraid of that...honesty is important in any relationship. If you care for them, they should have no reason to fear!"

When the women started to chuckle, Casimira stomped her foot and said "Please!" The women became silent. "Now, one last question. And I will thank you for your honesty. Where on earth do you think I could ever possibly find someone more wonderful than him?"

The women all pointed in different directions. Some pointed in a great number of directions. "Anywhere!" "Just walk until you trip over someone!" "Have you looked in the prison?" Everyone had a helpful suggestion.

Kurz was clearly turning red.

While the women were laughing, the young boy walked up to them and stopped. When the women were quiet again, the boy pointed at Kurz and demanded "Why is everyone being so mean to the pretty lady?"

The women all started snorting and cackling, and the woman who had returned from the rest room had to turn around and go back again. The boy stood his ground bravely....brushed his hands together...and walked up to kiss Kurz on the cheek. "That's OK," he said, "I'll still marry you!!!"

It seemed that the entire cafe crowd had gathered around, and they were all laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Casimira had a radiant smile.

Kurz looked unhappy. VERY unhappy.

The waiter walked up to Kurz and presented him the bill with a grand flourish. He was laughing too. When Kurz opened up the bill case to check on the damage, he saw a note. The camera zoomed in to show what was written:

"AMOUNT PAID IN FULL. COURTESY OF SOUSUKE SAGARA...KANAME CHIDORI...TELETHA TESTAROSSA...AND CASIMIRA CONCEPCION

....................OH YEH!!!...................."

Casimira walked up to Kurz and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for a wonderful date, Sgt. Weber." She then joined the crowd in laughing and applauding.

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At the end of the film, Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin returned to the podium. "Lt. Concepcion, another wonderful presentation. I do not feel I am in error when I say that is some of your best work."

The room burst into a long series of applause and catcalls.

"Thank you, sir. I should take this moment and apologize to Sgt. Sagara for the things I said about him in the film. Sergeant, perhaps I could offer you my apologies over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, later?" Casimira did not sound like she was joking.

A series of hoots and whistles were heard throughout the assembled crew.

Kurz' expression went from bad to worse.

"May I have your attention please," Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin said. "There is still one last matter to discuss."

When he had everyone's attention, he stepped forward in front of the podium. "We, as a team, have faced a large number of difficult missions in a short amount of time. As a commander, I am both proud of your accomplishments, and gratified by your professionalism. It is my opinion...and Captain Testarossa agrees with me...that the entire group aboard the Tuatha De Danaan deserves congratulation." He led the room in a round of applause for one another.

"In addition, we wanted to find some appropriate means to honor our valiant soldiers, thank our hard-working support staff, and applaud each and every person that has contributed to our success. It is my great pleasure to announce that we will be throwing a celebration in the hangar bay one month from today. Fine food and drink will be brought in. Live entertainment will be provided."

He then paused, as the crowd whispered excitedly. "And, Sgt. Kurz Weber WILL generously agree to pick up all costs."

The crowd exploded.

Kurz tried to sink through the floor and out of sight.

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The lights in the room were glowing brightly. The door was open, and anyone could have walked in if they wanted to. Voices were loud, confident, and happy. Anyone who had wanted to, could have listened in with permission.

The members of the conspiracy were completely satisfied. They all felt much better, and their discomfort and unhappiness related to prior embarrassment was now long gone. The common enemy had gotten what was coming to him.

The plan had been successful, and the appreciation had been widespread.
Revenge...retribution...justice...all had been well served.

The members present in the room congratulated each other, and thanked the members off-site. Sousuke was thanked for getting the ball rolling. Melissa was thanked for her initial idea, and for convincing Casimira to go along with the plan. Kaname was thanked for talking with her friend at school, and for getting that friend's family to allow them to use their restaurant, and to arrange for the careful coaching of informed members of the clientele and people willing to play necessary roles. Tessa was thanked for allowing the use of Mithril cameras and recording devices. Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin was thanked for giving his permission, and for his contributions to strategic planning. And Casimira received a warm round of applause for her fine performance...even though it required little acting.

It was a bad day to be Kurz Weber.

It was a good day to be everybody else!

[darkbane]

so Sgt. Kurz Weber finally got what was coming to him...